Different
by TheOneAndOnlyT87
Summary: [NinianEliwood] The story of Ninian: how she came to Elibe, and how she met up with a certain redhaired youth that would change her life forever.
1. Calling

Hi there, it's TheOneAndOnlyT, and I'm back, thanks to all of you who reviewed my first story. This time, I'm going to be focusing on a character that doesn't get many stories written about her: Ninian. It's not first-person (I can't write first-person for my life) but the story will follow her experiences nonetheless.  
Those of you who have read my other story know that I love putting fluff/romance in my stories. This one isn't going to be any exception. The pairing is rather obvious to those of you who have finished the game (not like Ninian would end up with anyone else anyway).  
So sit back, relax, and enjoy Fire Emblem from Ninian's point of view.   
  
**

Chapter One  
Calling  
  


** Somewhere, in a small temple, a young half-dragon girl was crying.  
She was a small ice dragon, about ten feet in length. Green scales covered her body, turning white near her neck and flaring into yellow markings protruding around her head. Short wings hung limply from her back as she cried.  
"Ninian?"  
She looked up, staring at her younger brother before her. Nils looked similar to Ninian, but he was smaller and the scales on his head and neck were green instead of white, identifying him as a male.  
"Ninian?" he repeated. "What's wrong?"  
She stared at him silently. If she spoke a single word, she knew she would start sobbing even harder.  
"It was those flame dragons again, wasn't it?" he asked.  
She looked down at one of her forelegs, at a blackened patch of scales, before the full memory of what had happened came back to her.  
  
_"Why don't you just get out of here?"  
She stared silently at the trio of flame dragons in front of her. They were the same size as her, with red scales and wings that looked like moving flames. They were her age as well, a little over a thousand years old, adolescent by dragon standards. As such, they loved causing trouble and making fun of others. Ninian seemed to be their favorite target for the latter.  
"Yeah, go back to where you came from, halfling!"  
Halfling. Their name for her and the others like her. The few humans that inhabited the dragons' realm were regarded as somewhat inferior by the dragons, but any mixing of the two races was considered much worse. Ninian and her brother were the results of one of those mixings, ice dragons with human blood coursing through their veins. They had the ability to assume human form, but in the world they lived in, staying as a dragon was much more desirable.  
The third flame dragon didn't even say anything; instead, he just laughed and blew a small ball of fire at her face. It wasn't much; their kind would have barely noticed it had it hit them, but as an ice dragon fire tended to hurt her. A lot.  
She brought up one of her forelegs to shield her face and the ball of flame struck it. She cried out in pain as the fire burned her scales.  
The flame dragons just laughed.  
Her eyes welled with tears, and she ran away, the flame dragons' laughter echoing in her ears.  
  
_ She nodded, and Nils sighed.  
Nils was the only person in the world Ninian could turn to for comfort. Their father, a human, had passed away only a few decades after Nils was born, victim of the humans' short life span. Their mother, an ice dragon, had died shortly afterwards out of grief and sickness. Both dragons and humans looked down upon them, and they did not know of any other half-dragons.  
Ninian wished that life could be back to the way it was before the Scouring.  
That was the name the humans had given it, anyway. Always looking upon themselves as the upholders of good, they had "scoured" their world of the "evil" dragons. Even to this day Ninian wasn't sure what had caused the war between dragons and humans. All she knew was that it had led to their retreat into this realm, through the portal known as the Dragon's Gate.  
The Dragon's Gate...a portal between worlds. Ninian and Nils lived in the temple containing it. Their mother had been the guardian of the Gate, making sure that no one passed through. When their mother had died, the task of guarding the Gate had fallen to Ninian and Nils. They alone knew how to open and close the Gate, and although they longed to see their birthplace once again after so many years, they knew it was forbidden.  
_Oh, is that so?  
_ Ninian gasped as she heard a deep, masculine voice reverberating in her head.  
_That's too bad. The war ended long ago, you know.  
_ "Who's there?" Ninian asked out loud. Nils was looking around frantically. Apparently he had heard the voice as well.  
_My name is Nergal,_ the voice said. _I have heard of your plight, and I wish to help you.  
_ "How do you know about that?"  
_I have my ways.  
_ "Then...how can you help us? Where are you?"  
_I am on the other side of the Dragon's Gate,_ Nergal explained. _It is taking me tremendous power to talk to you, but I am the first human that has contacted a dragon since the Scouring. We humans...we realized our mistake in driving out dragons long ago. We wished to apologize, but...we had no way of contacting dragons...until now. We want to allow dragons back into our world.  
_ Ninian was in shock. "R-...really?"  
_Yes. And you have the power to allow them back in, I believe.  
_ Ninian was filled with joy for a moment at the prospect of seeing her birthplace once again, before her suspicion caught up with her. "Wait," she said. "How do I know...that humans aren't waiting there to invade our world?"  
_What would we gain from that?_ Nergal asked. _There are no humans here besides me, and you know how short humans live. Nobody in this world even remembers the Scouring.  
_ "Then what guarantee do I have that nothing will happen?" she asked.  
_There is no guarantee. You will just have to trust me.  
_ Ninian looked at Nils.  
"I...suppose we could go through, then close it immediately," he suggested.  
"Are you sure?" she asked him.  
"No," he replied. "But..." He smiled. "I would like to see our home again, wouldn't you? Even if...only for a little while..."  
_That is acceptable,_ Nergal said. _Come through the Gate, then close it. Then I can show you that everything is fine.  
_ Ninian took another look at her brother before walking over to the great blackness that was the Dragon's Gate.  
"Very...very well..."  
She closed her eyes and concentrated. At once, the blackness began to brighten and the ground shook. After a few seconds, the Gate had become an eerie orange. Ninian opened her eyes.  
"Come on, Nils," she said. "Let's see our homeland again."  
Nils smiled and walked toward the Gate.  
And together, they went through.  
Ninian had a strange sensation of falling for a few seconds before she came out the other side in a temple much like the one she had just been in. Once again, she closed her eyes and willed the Gate to shut.  
She instantly regretted that decision.  
No sooner had the Gate closed than she felt all of her strength suddenly disappear. She collapsed to the ground in a heap, unable to move, and saw Nils do the same nearby. The last thing she heard before passing out was a maniacal laughter...  
  
"Get up," she heard Nergal's voice say in a tone much less kind than the one he had originally spoken to her with.  
Ninian's eyes slowly fluttered open, and she saw a man towering over her. He had dark green hair, but most of it was covered by a black turban that also covered his right eye. He wore all black.   
Ninian suddenly regretted coming through the Gate.  
"You...are...Nergal?" she asked weakly.  
"I am," he growled. "Now get up. And put this on." He tossed her a small black dress. Ninian wondered for a second how she was going to fit into that...  
Then she looked down at herself.  
She had somehow unconsciously reverted to human form. Looking to her side, she saw that Nils had done the same. He had become like a child, looking like he was ten years old at best. He now had messy light green hair and crimson eyes, and was only a little over four feet tall. He was wearing a black tunic and pants.  
Ninian suddenly realized that the reason Nergal had given her the dress was that she wasn't wearing anything. Dragons, of course, never wore any clothes, but she wasn't a dragon anymore. With a slight gasp, she hastily put on the dress and stood up.  
She nearly fell back down. She felt like she didn't have the strength to do anything.  
"What's...what's wrong with me?" she wondered aloud.  
"An unexpected side effect," Nergal explained angrily. "Your dragon form was accustomed to breathing the air of the world beyond the Dragon's Gate, not of this world. Your human form can survive, but...barely, for about fifteen years at best. Your strength _should_ return in a few days...and it _better_," he spat.  
"What?" she asked. "Why...what's going on?"  
Nergal suddenly laughed.  
"Did you _really_ believe humans wanted dragons back in their world?"  
Ninian's face suddenly changed from a look of confusion to one of terror.  
"What...what are you going to do with me?" she asked fearfully.  
"_I_ am not going to do anything to you; it looks like it's pointless anyhow." He chuckled slightly. "No, little girl, _you_ are going to do something for me."  
Ninian didn't like being used, nor did she like the title 'little girl'. "And what might that be?" she asked, a trace of anger in her voice.  
"You are going to open the Dragon's Gate for me again," he said. Seeing her eyes narrow, he continued, "and I do not need your consent. You are going to open the Gate whether you like it or not."  
"What if we resist?" Nils suddenly asked. Ninian turned to him; she hadn't noticed him get up. He held a defiant look on his face, weak as he was.  
Nergal turned to him as well, grinning maliciously. "I have my ways of making sure that does not happen."  
The defiant look on Nils's face vanished.  
"Why do you need the Gate opened?" Ninian asked.  
Nergal turned back to her. "So I can do to another dragon what I was _going_ to do to you. I will steal the dragons' quintessence—"  
"Quintessence?" Nils asked.  
"Its life energy," Nergal responded. "As I was _saying_," he glared at Nils, "I will steal the dragons' quintessence, and use it to make myself an all-powerful being. And _you_ are going to help me do it." He laughed.  
Now Ninian was _really_ regretting coming through the Gate.  
"Why did you not steal our...quintessence?" she asked.  
"Because you have nearly _none_," Nergal spat. "Your coming through the Gate caused you to lose much of your strength, and with it much of your quintessence. I at first was going to steal yours...but as you are now, that would be pointless. So once I have enough power to open the Gate again...you will help me open it."  
Ninian shuddered as Nergal laughed again.  
"Oh yes," Nergal suddenly added, "don't try turning into dragons again. I have control over that now." With that, he showed them a blue, shining stone he held in his hand.  
"What is that?" Nils asked.  
"It is a dragonstone," Nergal explained, "and it contains the energies of your dragon form. Whether or not you _take_ that form—" he closed his fist, "—is up to me."  
He turned and walked away.  
"What is he doing?" Nils whispered to Ninian. "We could just run away right now!"  
Nergal suddenly stopped; apparently he had somehow heard Nils. "That you could," he said, not turning to look at them. "But you have no way off this island." He continued on his way.  
Ninian looked at the blackness of the Dragon's Gate, her eyes welling with tears in despair.  
What had she _done_?  
  


***  
  


So...what do you guys think?  
Like my first story, this story is basically going to follow the plot of the game, with my own ideas added in. I may actually put in some tie-ins to _Defiance_...but we'll see about that later.  
Anyway, please review and tell me what you think. I don't need a certain number of reviews to update—I just need good ones.  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	2. Flight

Well, looks like people _do_ like this story...  
  
Serra21, DrillingPlanet, Phoenix Dagger, and khmerboi919: Thanks for your reviews!  
  
Millenium Slinky: Yeah, they're half-dragon. Apparently this information comes from chapter 19xx (yes, 19x_x_) in Hector's route only. To get to it, you need to kill Kishuna in 19x _and_ have Nils up to at least level 7. Needless to say, I'm not going to waste my time getting to it right now, but I have had the fact that Ninian and Nils are half-dragon confirmed by people on GameFAQs.  
  
High King Isaac: *breaks out of hug* You, uh, haven't read my profile, have you? I'm a guy. Just pointing that out, since a lot of people don't seem to notice :P  
On the bright side, I have another male reviewer :D  
  
On with the story...  
  
**

Chapter Two  
Flight  
  


** "_Go!_"  
This was uttered by Nils to a traveler who had believed he could survive the Dread Isle.  
Valor's reputation as the isle that no man had ever come back from caused a fair number of men each year to try to survive it. Everyone that tried eventually ended up finding Nergal, and everyone that found Nergal was immediately killed.  
This traveler, however, was lucky. As Nergal had allowed Ninian and Nils to roam freely on the island, they had been watching the horizon when they had seen the traveler's boat appear in the distance. When he reached shore, they had immediately begged him to take them away from the island. They told him that they were being held captive by a man named Nergal, and that they had been there for some time. They carefully left out what had happened before that.  
The traveler, a burly young man who seemed very sure of himself, had simply flexed his muscles, bragging that he could "easily beat this Nergal in a fight."  
That sureness had quickly disappeared when Ninian and Nils had told the traveler what Nergal could do with his dark magic. The traveler had hastily gotten back into his boat and allowed Ninian and Nils to come with him.  
As they sailed away from Valor, Ninian looked towards the sky and smiled.  
They were free. She didn't know what was going to happen afterwards, but they were free. And she could see her homeland again...  
  
As the three of them docked in Badon, Ninian took a look at the bustling city around her. It suddenly occurred to her that she and Nils had no money and nowhere to stay. She asked the traveler, rather embarrassed, if he had any money to spare, explaining that due to their recent captivity, they had none.  
Fortunately, the traveler was kind, and gave them enough money for a few nights' stay at the local inn. He even led them to the inn before bidding them farewell, thanking them for making him the first person to sail back from the Dread Isle. Upon hearing this, the people near him suddenly clustered around him, asking him how he had done it. Ninian sighed as the traveler began a very exaggerated tale, then she walked into the inn with Nils.  
The innkeeper, a middle-aged man, stood up as they walked towards his desk. "Why hello there, young lady," he said warmly to Ninian. "What are young people such as you and your brother doing in a city like this?"  
"I..." She didn't really know what to say. Fortunately, Nils came to the rescue.  
"We're...we're lost," Nils said like a scared child. Ninian, of course, saw right through his act, but the innkeeper didn't.  
"Is that so?" the innkeeper asked, immediately taking on a look of concern. He walked over to the entrance of the inn. "Then I'll look for your parents. What do they look like?"  
Ninian looked at Nils, then back to the innkeeper. "Our father is about as tall as you," she said, describing her late father. "His hair's gray and he has a beard. He also has blue eyes."  
"All right," the innkeeper said. "What about your mother?"  
"She wasn't with us," Ninian said, thinking quickly.  
"Okay," the innkeeper said. He took a brief glance out the entrance before turning back and walking over to his desk. He picked up a key and gave it to Ninian. "If...worse comes to worse," he said, "you kids can just stay here for the night, all right? Room's down the hall, fourth door on the left."  
"Thank you, sir," Ninian said. As the innkeeper walked back to the entrance, Ninian and Nils walked to their room. It was small but comfortable, with a bed on either side, and a small desk in the middle with a mirror above it. As soon as Ninian closed the door, however, she looked slightly angrily at Nils.  
"That wasn't a very nice thing to do," she said. "We could have easily paid him."  
Nils shrugged. "It was the first thing I thought of," he said. "Besides, that leaves us with more money for later. I mean...what exactly are we going to do now? We...we will have to make money eventually, won't we?"  
"That is true," she said. She walked to the far side of the room, glancing up at the mirror as she passed it. It occurred to her that she had never seen the way she looked as a human, and she looked into the mirror. Staring back at her was a somewhat tall girl with red eyes and long light-green hair that fell past her shoulders. She looked as though she were around seventeen or eighteen years old, which was accurate considering her age as a dragon. She smiled a little at the thought of an eleven-hundred-year-old girl who looked like she was seventeen.  
"Do you have any ideas?" Nils asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.  
She thought for a moment, before replying, "Do you think you could still play the flute?"  
"I...think so," Nils responded slowly. "And...you could dance..."  
Ninian and Nils's father had always had a passion for music, and he had bought Nils a flute when he was young. Nils had been very good and loved playing it, and Ninian had fond memories of dancing to his melodies. Conveniently, the flute was meant for human hands, and that meant that maybe, just maybe, they could make money as a traveling group. All they had to do was buy a flute, which they could do with the money that the traveler had given them, and they could be all right.  
"That should be good, shouldn't it?" Ninian asked.  
Nils smiled a little. "I suppose," he replied.  
Ninian sat down on her bed. They were silent for awhile before they heard a knock on their door. Nils opened it to find the innkeeper with a man that somewhat matched Ninian's description.  
"Is this your father?" he asked. "He says he has been looking for his children."  
"I'm sorry, that's not him," Ninian replied.  
"Oh...alright," the innkeeper replied. He turned and led the man out, closing the door behind him.  
Ninian lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling.  
Making money dancing, traveling to different places, and maybe seeing her homeland again...  
Perhaps life as a human wouldn't be so bad.  
  
_Find them...FIND THEM!  
_ Ninian awoke from her nightmare with a jolt. She had dreamt of Nergal telling some of his minions to find her. For some reason, she felt a tingling sensation in the back of her head. She sat up, looking out the window into the night sky.  
She suddenly heard Nils's voice. "Ninian? Are you awake?"  
"Yes...what's the matter?" she asked.  
"Did...did you just have a nightmare too? About...Nergal looking for us?"  
"Y-...yes," she said.  
The tingling sensation began to get stronger. Something wasn't right...  
Suddenly, she heard the doorknob rattle.  
The tingling became so intense it was almost painful. She started breathing quickly, scared by what might be behind the door.  
"Who...who's there?" Nils asked.  
The door was suddenly knocked down, and Ninian gasped. The sensation in the back of her head _was_ painful now.  
Standing in the doorway was a man, but his face was covered by a hood and some black cloth covering his nose and mouth. He gave a sinister laugh. "Looks like I found you kids," he said. His voice was quite low.  
Ninian screamed.  
The man slowly advanced towards her and reached out to grab her, but before he could do so, he suddenly froze, and as he did so, the sensation in the back of Ninian's head vanished. He stayed in place for a few seconds, before falling face first onto Ninian's bed. Ninian clambered away from him as she noticed a knife sticking out of the man's back. She looked to her side, and she saw the innkeeper standing there, breathing heavily. Strangely enough, on his face was not a look of concern, but a look of anger.  
"Th-thank you s-so much, sir," Ninian stammered. "Y-you saved our lives..."  
"Get out," the innkeeper said angrily.  
"What?"  
"I said get _out_!"  
"But...why?" Nils asked. "You...you said we could stay here..."  
"Do you _really_ think I believe your story now?" the innkeeper nearly shouted. "You kids aren't lost...you're on the run from someone, aren't you?"  
Silence.  
"I'll take that as a yes," the innkeeper continued. "If someone's following you, then you must be up to no good. I may have saved your butts this time, but I am _not_ putting my other customers in danger by letting you stay. You're leaving. _Now_."  
"But...but, sir," Ninian pleaded, "it's the middle of the night..."  
"The perfect time for more men to come for you," the innkeeper retorted. He pointed his finger at the door. "Now get out, and don't come back."  
Ninian and Nils slowly got up, and walked out of the room, then out of the inn. The innkeeper slammed the door behind them.  
Ninian took one look back and burst into tears. Nils tried to comfort her, but there was nothing he could do.  
_It's just like in the dragons' realm..._ Ninian thought.  
_Even in this world...we're still not accepted...  
  
_

***  
  


Damn, I hate writing angst...but don't worry, Ninian meets Lyn soon, and then it gets better.  
What do you guys think of this chapter?  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	3. Rescue

Wow, eight reviews for just my second chapter of this story! I must be getting really popular around here...  
  
khmerboi919: That will be coming shortly...  
  
Millenium Slinky: Said "burly young man" wasn't looking for a fight, he was trying to survive the Dread Isle. He only said he could beat Nergal in a fight because he's a jock and jocks are stupid. They think saying those sort of things will impress people.  
And "random dude" said he was looking for his kids (which is referring to other random dude/s). That's why the innkeeper brought him in.  
  
High King Isaac: No worries, it's happened before. Several people read my first story and immediately assumed I was a girl because it was romantic. Then they read my profile. You should see some of their reviews once they recognized that I was a guy :P  
  
Itzel, Phoenix Dagger, The Story Master 125: Thanks for your reviews! (and in Story Master's case, both of them)  
  
DrillingPlanet: As good as Ivanfanatic? Wow, I didn't think I'd ever hear that! Thanks!  
  
**

Chapter Three  
Rescue  
  


** Ninian's eyes slowly fluttered open as the light of the sun hit her eyelids.  
Her head was resting on Nils's, who was lying on her shoulder. The two were propped up against the wall of the inn, having fallen asleep sitting up.  
Ninian yawned and rubbed her eyes. As she did so, Nils fell into her lap, whereupon he quickly woke up. "Morning," he mumbled.  
Ninian stood up and dusted off her clothes, and Nils did the same.  
"Are you all right now?" Nils asked her.  
Ninian closed her eyes and sighed slightly as the memory of the previous night came back to her. "I...I think so," she said. She was about to say more, but she was cut off as Nils's stomach grumbled loudly.  
"Ooh," he said, putting a hand to his stomach. "I need something to eat."  
Ninian smirked. "Let's see if we can find anything around here."  
  
After a short search, the siblings found a small, uncrowded café. Ninian used a little of the money the traveler had given them to buy some bread and butter, and they sat down at a table.  
They ate in silence for awhile, before Nils said, "Ninian, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."  
"Yes?" she replied.  
"When...that man came last night...did you...did you feel anything strange?"  
"Actually, I did," she said, recalling the sensation in the back of her head. "There was this strange feeling in my head...it got stronger as the man got near us..."  
"Was it tingly?" Nils asked.  
"Yes," she replied. "Did...did you feel it too?"  
"Yeah...I wonder what it was. You...you said it got stronger when the man got close?"  
"Yes, why?"  
"Do you think...we sensed danger?"  
"It is a possibility," she answered, before accidentally dropping a piece of buttered bread she was holding. It landed on her dress with a _splat_. She pulled it off and wiped the butter away, but it left a rather noticeable stain on the black cloth. "Now what?" she sighed.  
Nils stifled a laugh. "We could buy a new one," he suggested. "I looked—that traveler gave us quite a bit of money." He looked down at his own clothes. "And I could use something new myself."  
"We can't spend too much, though," she replied. "We need money for food...and your flute," she added.  
"Well, we should at least get _you_ some new clothes," he said, gesturing at her dress and smiling.  
  
The siblings were able to buy a lot more than Ninian had originally thought.  
Ninian stepped out of the vendor into the afternoon sun wearing her new pale green dress. It was a little big and trailed around her feet, but she had liked the color—it matched her hair—and had bought it anyway.  
Nils, in addition to his flute, had bought a brown vest and shorts. He also had bought a very long yellow scarf that was now tied around his neck. When Ninian asked him why he had bought such a thing, he had just shrugged and said, "It looked nice."  
Ninian had given him a stern look for that one.  
Nils had also apparently bought a small dagger, saying that they might need it if any more men came for them. Topping off his purchases was a pack to store their provisions in.  
They had enough money left for another meal and maybe a night at an inn if they cut it close. That meant they had to earn some more soon.  
"Why don't we start right now?" Nils suggested. Ninian nodded, and the pair walked off to a busy street. Nils set down the pack and opened it for people to put money inside, then closed his eyes, put the flute to his lips, and began to play a fast, cheerful tune. Ninian, at once, felt invigorated. She began to dance to the music, closing her eyes as she twirled around.  
_Clink.  
_ Ninian smiled as she heard coins drop into the pack.  
_Clink. Clink.  
_ She opened her eyes to find that a few people had stopped walking to watch her and Nils. As the song ended, the little crowd applauded them, some dropping more money into the pack. One man even asked them to do another song.  
Ninian smiled. At this rate, they would have enough money to move on to a new city within a few days.  
The memory of her homeland burned brightly in her mind once again...  
  
Ninian and Nils left Badon a few days later in high spirits. The money they had earned over the past few days had allowed them to buy a tent and more food for their journey. Adding to their spirits was the fact that the nights had passed without incident.  
Ninian had been able to find a map of the continent. She wasn't sure what her homeland was called—she never had known—but she did remember it was cold, snowy, and mountainous. Looking at the northeast portion of the map, she had decided that her homeland must have been what was now Ilia. With this information, the siblings had set off to the northeast, making their current destination a city called Kathelet.  
Their journey passed without incident until their third night away...  
  
_GET THEM! BRING THEM BACK TO ME!  
_ Ninian quickly awoke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. Her nightmare of Nergal was even worse this time, as his anger seemed to be rising to a fever pitch. She heard Nils breathing heavily beside her, indicating that he had awoken. She calmed down for a moment—  
—and nearly fainted when she felt the tingling sensation in the back of her head again. Nils apparently felt it too, as he quickly rummaged through his pack in the dim light and pulled out his dagger. He stood at the entrance to the tent with an angry look on his face, ready to ambush anyone that tried to step inside.  
The tent flap opened, and Nils leapt at a man who looked eerily similar to the one that had come for them that first night...  
The dagger drove deep into the man's shoulder, making him cry out in pain. But Ninian wasn't focused on that. Behind the man, she could see several more men who looked just like him.  
The sensation in her head became painful once again, and she screamed.  
_Clang!  
_ Nils's dagger was knocked away by the sword of one of the other men. His angry look changed to one of terror, and he ran. A couple of the men followed him.  
The rest slowly walked into the tent as Ninian pushed herself back until she felt the tent's wall press into her skin. Eyes wide in terror and her head now pounding from the sensation in it, she could not do much but scream as one of the men bound her legs, then her hands. Finally, with an annoyed look in his eyes from her screaming, the man placed a strip of cloth around her mouth.  
The other men laughed softly.  
The man who had bound her legs and feet picked her up and began to carry her over his shoulder. Ninian brought her feet back to kick him, but the man caught the kick in his free hand. She stopped trying to resist, as it seemed pointless to do so now.  
As the men brought her out of the tent, she looked around for any sign of Nils. He was nowhere to be seen. She panicked—what if the other men had caught him?  
The man carried her silently for a few minutes, while Ninian thought of the terrible things that would happen once Nergal had his quintessence...  
"Put that girl down!" a male voice suddenly shouted. The man carrying her stopped.  
Ninian looked around; the voice didn't seem to have come from one of the men sent to capture her. Try as she might, however, she could not locate the source of the voice.  
"Oof!"  
Ninian was suddenly dropped as something slammed into the midsection of the man that was carrying her. Her head hit the ground and her vision became blurry. She looked up to see a man with spiky red hair and blue eyes fighting with the black-wearing men before she lapsed into unconsciousness...  
  


***  


  
Well, there's the big rescue.  
If you're wondering where I found out that Ninian is from Ilia, it's from her support conversations with...Florina. I bet a lot of you haven't tried to get those :P  
Speaking of Florina, she's going to be quite an important character. Any of you who have seen her A support with Ninian will know why. Of course, that means that almost none of you know. *laughs evilly* You'll just have to read the story to find out.  
Well, I gotta get some sleep cause tomorrow is my ROAD TEST! Woohoo! Driver's license, here I come! That is, if I can pass...wish me luck! (please! I need it!)  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	4. Beginnings

I got my license! *drives to random places just because he can*  
Holy crap, NINE reviews for this chapter. All I can say is keep 'em coming ^_^  
  
Meelu the Bold: OK, one person who has gotten the Ninian/Florina A support. Hopefully there aren't many more...  
  
Rebel581: Thanks for your review!  
  
Death Scythe X-9: Thanks for your review!  
  
Millenium Slinky: OK, just think of the "café" as a tavern or something. It doesn't make much difference, does it?  
*makes more clinking sounds*  
  
Tinie Ashie: Crap, now there's two. I wanted this to be a surprise...  
  
The Story Master 125: I agree, Florina is amazing. On my last play-through, I got her to level 20 promoted. She was unstoppable :D  
  
khmerboi919: Um, was it ever really said how Ninian became unconscious in the game? I don't remember...  
  
DrillingPlanet: The dagger isn't really necessary, don't you think? I update faster than most people on this site as it is :P  
  
Itzel: Thanks for your review!  
**

Chapter Four  
Beginnings  


** "Ninian..."  
Ninian's eyes slowly opened at the sound of Nils's voice.  
She looked around. She seemed to be in some sort of dilapidated fortress, but it didn't look like anything on the Dread Isle.  
"Are you awake?" a female voice asked.  
Ninian slowly sat up and saw a young woman standing over her. She had green eyes and long dark-green hair tied back in a ponytail. She wore a blue shirt and skirt, cut at the sides so her legs were bare.  
As Ninian sat up, the woman smiled. "So you're okay," she said. "You were out for some time."  
"I was so worried about you," Nils added.  
"What...what happened?" Ninian asked.  
"A man saved you last night," Nils explained. "He said you were knocked out cold when the men carrying you dropped you on the ground."  
Ninian stood up shakily, still feeling a little woozy.  
"Oh, this is Lyn," Nils said. "She's the leader of a band of mercenaries, and she's agreed to help us."  
"Pleased to meet you, Ninian," Lyn said.  
"As am I, Lady Lyn," Ninian responded.  
Lyn suddenly smiled. "Lady Lyn?" she said to herself. "You don't have to call me that. Just call me Lyn," she told her.  
Ninian shook her head. "That would be disrespectful...you saved me, after all..."  
"No, I wasn't the one who saved you," Lyn said. "You'd have to thank Eliwood for that...but he's not here."  
"Where are we?" Ninian asked.  
"Just outside Kathelet," Lyn answered.  
"Then Nils and I must be going—"  
"What do you mean?" Nils asked suddenly.  
She looked at him, confused. "We must go to Kathelet to make more money," she said.  
"Didn't you hear me?" Nils asked. "Lyn has agreed to help us. She's going to let us travel with her army, and they'll protect us...from..."  
Ninian looked back at Lyn. "Oh," she said apologetically, "I couldn't burden you...we can't fight or anything..."  
"But Nils has demonstrated his talents for me," Lyn explained. "When he plays his song, I feel...we all feel invigorated. He could help us in battle."  
"You could dance for them too," Nils added. "I'm sure your dances will lift their spirits."  
"Are...are you sure we will not be a problem to you?" Ninian asked.  
"Of course not!" a new voice suddenly shouted enthusiastically. Ninian turned around to find a tall man with brown hair and eyes, wearing a green armor plate. "Why, I'm sure—"  
"Sain, this is not the time!" Behind Sain was another soldier, this one with red hair and a red armor plate.  
"Oh, Kent, don't be such a spoilsport!" Sain said to the redhead, before turning back to Ninian, taking one of her hands in his. "Beautiful Ninian, I would be honored to—"  
"That's _enough_," Kent said, annoyed. He grabbed Sain's arm and pulled him away.  
Ninian could feel her face turning red. "Beautiful?" she said to herself. Did he really mean that?  
"He doesn't really mean that," Lyn said, answering her thoughts. "He says that to every girl he sees."  
"Oh," Ninian said, relieved. She wasn't very good at talking to the opposite gender.  
"Come on," Lyn said, "I should introduce you to everyone."  
She led Ninian and Nils out of the fortress, where the rest of the army was waiting. Lyn introduced the siblings to Serra, the talkative cleric; Erk, the sarcastic mage; Dorcas, the silent fighter; Matthew, the cheery thief; Lucius, the kind monk; Rath, the enigmatic nomad; and—  
"—this is Florina," Lyn said, gesturing toward a young woman who looked like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. She was a bit short, with curly lavender hair and blue-green eyes. She wore blue light armor over a white shirt and skirt. "She's a pegasus knight, from Ilia. Florina, this is Ninian and Nils."  
_Ilia?_ Ninian thought. _She's from Ilia too?  
_ "P-pleased to m-meet you..." Florina stammered.  
"Pleased to meet you as well, Miss Florina," Ninian replied.  
Florina's face turned bright red. "Y-you d-don't have t-to call me th-that," she said, stuttering even more than before.  
"Florina, you don't have to be so shy," Lyn said, sounding like a mother.  
Florina looked at the ground. "I-I'm sorry," she said. "I-I just..."  
"Do not worry, Florina," Ninian said. "I am...somewhat shy myself."  
Florina looked up and gave Ninian a tiny smile. "All...all right," she said.  
"I think that's everyone," Lyn said. "We won't be going anywhere until tomorrow, so you're free to do what you like. Just don't wander off. Now if you'll excuse me, I must speak with Kent about our next course of action." She turned and walked away.  
"Oh yeah," Nils said. "Lyn told me that we would be staying in the same tent, just so you know."  
"Okay."  
"I'm going to talk to Erk," he said, smirking. "I've always wanted to see what a mage can do."  
Ninian smiled slightly at Nils walking away, then turned back to Florina.  
"Miss Florina?"  
Florina looked up, her face turning red again. "P-please...just call m-me Florina..."  
"Florina then," Ninian said. "Lyn said you are from Ilia, correct?"  
"Y-yes..." Florina answered slowly. "Why?"  
"Well, I was, um...born there too."  
"Really?" Florina's stutter seemed to vanish almost instantly. "Wow...I didn't think I'd meet anyone else from Ilia all the way out here..."  
Ninian smiled. "Why are you...so far away from your homeland?" she asked.  
"I am a pegasus knight," she said, smiling with pride almost like a child's. "Pegasus knights must join a band of mercenaries to complete their training. Lyn was a close friend of mine, so..."  
"May I...see your pegasus?" Ninian asked. She had never seen one, despite the fact that Ilia was the only place they inhabited.  
"Really? No one...has ever asked me that before..." she said to herself, before looking up and adding hastily, "er, of course!"  
Ninian smiled as Florina led her to where the horses and the lone pegasus were being kept. Perhaps, she thought, Florina could be her first real friend...  
  
Ninian and Nils's journey with Lyn and her army began mostly without incident. Ninian did recall with some pride how she had sensed a ballista bolt coming for Lyn, but other than that not much happened to her. Nils was eager to help out the others in battle, but she preferred to stay out of harm's way.  
Ninian spent most of her time talking with Florina, who she became fast friends with. Florina told her of Lyn's cause, how she had just recently found out she was of noble birth and how she was trying to stop her granduncle, Lundgren, from taking the throne of Caelin.  
She also spent quite a bit of time avoiding Sain. Lyn was obviously not going for him, Serra was too annoying, and Florina was just too shy, so he had focused most of his efforts on Ninian. She respectfully declined his attempts to talk to her, but he just kept coming back.  
It had been at least a week before Ninian heard that the army was heading back to Kathelet to talk to Eliwood. Ninian had wanted to meet him ever since Lyn had told her he was the one who had saved her.  
She was able to meet him outside of a small village in Kathelet. She watched him while Lyn talked with him about helping her stop Lundgren. He was a few inches taller than her, with spiky red hair and clear blue eyes, and he wore a blue shirt and cape along with brown pants. A rapier was also strapped to his side.  
As he and Lyn finished their discussion, Ninian walked up to him slowly.  
"L-Lord Eliwood," she said.  
Eliwood looked at her with a small smile. "Ah, hello there, Ninian."  
Ninian wondered for a moment how he knew her name, but she figured Nils must have told him. She gave him a nervous smile. "I have wanted to meet you for some time," she said. "Lyn told me...she told me that...you were the one who saved me. I...wanted to thank you..."  
Eliwood's smile grew larger. "You are welcome," he said. "When I saw those brigands carrying you, I thought you could use some help..."  
"Yes...well, thank you, my lord."  
"Think nothing of it," he said. "I must be going now, though...I have to get back to Pherae."  
"Then...I hope I am able to talk to you again," Ninian replied.  
Eliwood chuckled. "As do I," he said. He turned and began to stride out of the village.  
As he left, Ninian couldn't help but feel as though a part of her didn't want him to leave...  
  


* * *

  
Like the little line? I finally figured out how to make it.  
Well, I think you can guess where the story's going from here. Eliwood won't be back for a little while, but Ninian will sure be keeping him fresh in her mind, especially with Elbert's stories...  
What do you guys think of this chapter?  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	5. Hope

Stupid ff.net...let me see my reviews!  
OK, I'm not sure if any of you have noticed this, but all of the reviews that were posted after Friday seem to be invisible (and it's not just this story, the reviews I've posted on other stories are invisible as well). The review count on the story says 29, but my stats page still says 24. I can see DrillingPlanet's review cause he posted his on Friday...but I can't see anyone else's. I've e-mailed ff.net about it though, so hopefully it will be fixed soon.  
Stupid computer *clicks reviews button repeatedly* come ON! *kicks computer*  
Computer: *gives Blue Screen of Death™*  
Oh yeah, there's another problem. My computer is really messed up and seems to be blue-screening whenever I try to play a game or download something. Fortunately for you guys, I can still write this, at least. So enjoy!  
  
DrillingPlanet: Sort of. I was thinking of a way to get Nils away from Ninian when that just popped into my head. Nils isn't annoying in this story though.  
  
As for everyone else...sorry, but I can't respond to what I can't see. If by some chance your reviews do reappear, I'll respond to them in later chapters.  
  
**

Chapter Five  
Hope  
  


** "You're leaving already?"  
Ninian stood in her room at Castle Caelin, ready to leave. Florina was standing just outside the door, wondering why she couldn't stay.  
"I...I'm sorry, Florina," Ninian said. "But Nils and I..."  
"It's all right," Florina interrupted her. "If you have to leave, I won't stop you. It's just...well, you've been a great friend, and I'll miss you..."  
Ninian gave her a sad smile. "As will I, Florina. You have been...a great friend to me as well. I wish you luck in your pegasus knight training."  
Florina thanked Ninian, then briefly embraced her. "I hope I see you again..."  
"Me too..." She began to walk out the door. "Goodbye, Florina."  
"Goodbye, Ninian..."  
  
"Goodbye, Ninian! Have a safe journey!"  
Ninian waved back at Lyn, who was standing in the gate of the castle.  
Having helped Lyn regain the throne of Caelin, Ninian and Nils were now ready to continue their journey to Ilia. Lyn had given them a new tent and plenty of food for their journey, and, at Nils's request, had also given them two curved daggers known to some as "killing edges." If any men attacked them, Nils, and Ninian if she had to, would be able to silence them quickly.  
Once again, the siblings began their journey in high spirits, confident that this time they would be able to make it to the next town without any trouble.  
They were wrong.  
  
_They have left the protection of that weak marchioness...perfect. I will accept no mistakes this time!  
BRING THEM TO ME!  
_ Ninian once again awoke from her nightmare with a jolt, but this time, she and Nils were ready. Each of them had strapped the sheathed killing edges near their waists so that they might be able to draw them quickly in an emergency. Ninian, however, did not want to fight if she didn't have to, so she simply fingered the hilt of the dagger as Nils approached the tent's front flap and waited.  
Nobody came for several minutes, but the sensation in Ninian's head told her that there were people waiting outside.  
It was then that the front flap began to glow orange. Ninian turned around.  
The men had set the back of the tent on fire. Now they could either stay inside and be killed, or go out and at least not go down without a fight...  
The siblings looked at each other, understanding what they had to do.  
Without a moment's hesitation, Nils raised his dagger and charged out of the front of the tent.  
He didn't get far. The moment he left the tent, he was blindsided by one of the men. The dagger he had been holding flew into the air and landed uselessly some distance away.  
Ninian didn't even get a chance to unsheathe her dagger. Another man, seeing that Nils had been pacified, quickly rushed into the tent and grabbed Ninian by her waist. He laughed as more men came in and quickly bound her hands before they could move to her weapon. They went out of the tent just as the fire began to consume it completely.  
Ninian began to scream, but this time there was nobody to help her. She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head as something hard smashed into it, and then everything went black.  
  
"Ninian..."  
Ninian's eyes slowly fluttered open. She sat up, then quickly clutched her head as it began to pound.  
"Ninian, are you all right?" She heard Nils's voice.  
Ninian looked up, but all she could see was black.  
"Ninian..."  
She heard Nils's voice from behind her, and turned around. She burst into tears at what she saw.  
They were back in the temple of the Dragon's Gate again. The blackness she had seen had been the Gate itself, which she was lying right in front of.  
"No..._no..._" she sobbed.  
Nils wanted to comfort her, but what could he say?  
They had no hope now...  
Nergal was going to become all-powerful, and all because she had wanted to see her homeland...  
  
Ninian didn't know how long she cried, nor did she care. But at some point she had noticed that the killing edge was still strapped to her waist. The men who had captured her must have never removed it.  
Looking back on it, she wasn't sure what had driven her to do it. All she remembered was that she was holding the dagger right above her chest, eyes closed, ready to take her own life. If she did so, then Nergal could not use her to open the Gate...  
She would have done it then and there, if a voice hadn't suddenly stopped her.  
"Don't!"  
The voice was male, but it did not belong to Nils or Nergal. She opened her eyes to find a man in front of her with red hair, blue eyes, and a moustache. He wore a brown shirt and pants.  
The first thought she had about the man was that he looked startlingly like an older version of Eliwood.  
"What do you think you're doing?" the man asked, although he was not angry. He seemed more concerned.  
"There is nothing else that can help me," Ninian said in a flat, expressionless voice. She was beyond despair now. "If I take my own life, I may keep Nergal from reaching his goal."  
"There are other ways to stop Nergal besides taking your own life!" the man declared.  
"Why should I continue to live?" she continued in her flat voice. "The only reason I am alive is for Nergal to exploit my power."  
"That isn't true and you know it. There must be someone—something in your life that you should live for!"  
Ninian ignored the statement. "You do not know how I feel," she said, her voice trembling with a rage she had never felt before. "My life is meaningless now."  
The man sighed. "You are right, I do not know how you feel. But I know someone who has."  
Ninian laughed mirthlessly. "Really. And who might that be?"  
"My son, Eliwood."  
_Eliwood...  
_ That sparked a memory in her mind.  
"My son may not have been in the same situation as you," Eliwood's father continued. "But he once felt the same despair. As a small child, he once became lost in a forest outside of Castle Pherae. He stayed there for hours, hoping that I or someone else would find him, but no one came. He felt as though everyone had abandoned him, and left him to die...but even after he had lost all hope of being rescued, I found him and brought him back to the castle."  
_Just like Eliwood rescued me,_ she thought. She had accepted that there was nothing she could do after the men had captured her, but still she was saved by Eliwood.  
"Even when you feel there is no hope, there always is," Eliwood's father said. "There is still a chance we can stop Nergal. And there always was. But if you wish to stop him, you cannot simply give in."  
_He's right,_ she thought. _Taking my life will do nothing.  
_ "But what can we do?" she asked him, her voice no longer expressionless.  
He smiled, seeing her despair gone. "I'm not sure," he said. "But we will find a way."  
  


* * *

  
Hmmm, that was kinda short. But I must say, it's a good place to stop. Especially with that last line.  
*computer blue-screens again*  
*restarts* stupid thing...Well anyway, keep posting your reviews, because there's always hope that they will appear. :P If they don't, you can always e-mail your reviews to me at LavaWave10@aol.com.   
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	6. Memories

After several days of technical difficulties, I can finally post this. And I can see my reviews now! I've got a lot of responses to do...  
  
Rebel581, khmerboi919 (x2), Death Scythe X-9, Serra21, fairydust125 (x2), Sword of Seals, and DrillingPlanet: Thanks for your reviews!  
On second thought, that was easier than I expected :P  
  
The Story Master 125: Well, if you haven't gotten their A support, that will make seeing it all the better. I'm going to make a very important addition to it though...  
  
Millenium Slinky: Of course, haven't you ever seen any of the official art for Lyn in battle poses? Her little skirt is always as high as her thighs O_o  
*also makes rude gesture at ff.net, then realizes they fixed the problem and quickly pulls it away*  
And of course Killing Edges are good ideas. It's just too bad they can't use them in the game :/  
  
On with the—*computer blue-screens again* stupid thing...  
  
**

Chapter Six  
Memories  
  


** Ninian lost track of how long she and Nils had been on the Dread Isle, but she knew they had been there for several months at least.  
After helping alleviate her despair, Eliwood's father had come up with a plan to build a boat for the three of them. However, he worked on it alone, as Nergal was now keeping a magical eye on the siblings at all times after their first escape. Marquess Pherae, who was not integral to his plans, was not watched as closely.  
Marquess Pherae also kept Ninian and Nils's spirits high by telling them stories of his wife and son. Ninian, after hearing his stories, wished that she could help Lord Elbert simply so that he would be able to return to his family. Although he thanked her for her offers to help, he insisted that he should work alone to make sure they were not caught.  
In their time on the isle, Ninian and Nils also saw Nergal's morphs for the first time. They were both conversing with their master, one male, one female. As the discussion ended, Ninian was finally able to see their faces. They were both inhumanly white, with jet-black hair and piercing golden eyes. Ninian knew from the moment she saw them that they were not human, and she had asked Marquess Pherae about them.  
He responded by saying that Nergal had created them using the quintessence of other humans. Their intellect was greater than that of humans, but they did not have the capacity to think in terms of morals and so they served Nergal without question.  
Ninian had stayed as far away from them as possible after that.  
As Lord Elbert told the siblings more stories about his family, Ninian found her thoughts turning to Eliwood. She wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling that somehow Eliwood would come and save her. She knew it was nearly impossible, that he had no reason to go to the Dread Isle at all, but still she continued to imagine of him...  
  
Finally the time came when Elbert let the siblings know that the boat was completed. As it turned out, however, the boat was only large enough for two people. Ninian wondered how they could possibly leave anyone behind, but Elbert had quickly insisted that the siblings be the ones to leave. He explained that if one of the siblings stayed, Nergal could still open the Gate. They could not argue against that and they had quickly run to the location that Elbert said the boat was in.  
The siblings found the boat hidden in a group of bushes near the northern beach of the isle, compete with a set of oars, although somewhat crude. They wasted no time in getting the boat in the water, knowing that Nergal could learn of their attempted escape at any moment.  
They were just about to set off when there was a flash of light and the male morph suddenly appeared on the beach. He had a smug look on his face, but he made no move to stop Ninian and Nils from escaping.  
Nils pushed the oars into the water and began to row, and still the morph did not move.  
"Go," he said, the smug look still present.  
Ninian stared at him in disbelief as Nils continued to row. This morph was just going to _let_ them go?  
"Go," the morph repeated, a malicious smile forming on his lips. "You will be back here soon enough." And with another flash, he was gone.  
The morph's words unsettled Ninian, but as the beach shrank away from them, her uneasiness lessened. A smile began to form on her face. How could Nergal bring them back from the sea?  
She looked at Nils, still rowing away. He just looked at her and smiled as he continued to push the boat further away from the Dread Isle.  
  
_Shame on you, Marquess Pherae. You freed the boy **and** the girl?  
I will not let you move unopposed!  
It is no matter. They will not get far. I will see to that.  
  
_ Ninian awoke to the feeling of being rocked back and forth as drops of rain hit her face. Nils awoke beside her, shivering.  
They both jumped as a flash of lightning suddenly lit up the sky.  
The wind began to pick up and the rain started coming down in torrents. The boat rocked and swayed, but Ninian held on tight. She pressed her head into her legs and squeezed her eyes shut.  
Her eyes snapped open as she heard Nils scream above the now-roar of the winds. Looking up, she saw him struggling to keep his balance in the boat, but he wasn't doing a very good job.  
A wave suddenly slammed into the boat, throwing Nils over the edge. Ninian screamed as he hit the water and instantly disappeared from sight.  
"_Nils!_"  
Almost as though the storm was appeased by Nils's fall, the winds died down slowly and the rain stopped. In the dark of the night, however, Ninian could not see any sign of Nils.  
"Nils? Nils! Where are you?!"  
She could not hear him either.  
"No..."  
Ninian lay down in the boat as she began to sob.  
"No...Nils..."  
  
Minutes passed, turning into hours and then days.  
Ninian slipped in and out of consciousness during that time, unaware of anything around her. Now that Nils was gone, what was she to do? She doubted she was strong enough to row all the way to the mainland, and even if she was, she was running out of the little food she had taken with her.  
She remembered Elbert's words and resolved never to give up hope that she might be rescued, but after awhile even that seemed pointless.  
A dry sob racked her throat as she thought she saw a boat far off in the distance. Knowing her luck, though, it probably wasn't a boat at all, and even if it was, they would never notice her all alone in the sea...  
Exhausted from crying and lack of food, she fell unconscious once again...  
  
"Hey, can you help me out? I don't know where to...grab her."  
"Such a gentleman."  
"Stow it!"  
Ninian thought she heard voices.  
"What the—Ninian?!"  
"Ninian...unbelievable. What are the chances?"  
"You know her, Eliwood?"  
_Eliwood...  
_ Somehow, the name seemed familiar to her...but she couldn't understand why.  
Her eyes slowly opened to a group of people standing over her.  
"Ninian, is that really you?" asked a red-haired man.  
Ninian's head was pounding. "Ninian?" she said weakly. "Is that...me?"  
The red-haired man's expression suddenly changed to disappointment. "You...do not remember your name?"  
Ninian tried to sit up, but she lacked the strength. She groaned. "My head..."  
A green-haired woman picked her up. "Don't worry, Ninian," she said. "You'll be okay."  
Ninian didn't understand why the woman was being so nice to her, but she was so exhausted that she didn't care. She closed her eyes as the woman carried her off...  
  
Ninian awoke feeling somewhat refreshed, but her head still throbbed dully. She got up off the bed and nearly fell over as the floor suddenly swayed under her. Hearing the sound of water crashing against something solid, she concluded she was on a boat. She saw some stairs leading above decks and decided to go outside.  
She was almost out the door when a voice from outside stopped her.  
"Ninian?! You...don't come out yet! You can't!" It was the red-haired man from earlier.  
"Why not?" she asked.  
"There's blood everywhere!"  
"Blood?" she said softly to herself. She felt her face pale at the very thought of it. She turned to go back down the stairs, but as she did so her eyes glanced over the boat's deck.  
Black-robed men were lying everywhere in pools of blood. Some of them had stab wounds straight through their midsections, while others were horribly burned from magic spells.  
Ninian wanted to throw up.  
She did so just as the red-haired man appeared in the doorway. His clothes were already slightly torn and covered in splotches of red, and Ninian didn't exactly help with their cleanliness.  
The man only took a quick, slightly disgusted glance at his clothes before turning to Ninian with a sympathetic look on his face. Ninian was already hastily apologizing.  
"My l-lord," she stammered, "I-I—"  
"Do not worry," he said soothingly. "It is—" he looked at the floor, "—not your fault."  
"What...what happened?" she asked, still feeling slightly sick.  
"These men attacked the boat while you were asleep," he said, pointing behind him. He seemed more concerned with Ninian, however. "Are you all right?" he asked.  
"I-I think so," she said softly. As she did so, her stomach grumbled quite loudly.  
The red-haired man gave her a small smile. "I can get you some food, if you like."  
"That would be nice," Ninian said, also smiling slightly.  
"Hey Eliwood!" a male voice suddenly shouted. Ninian looked to her side and saw a blue-haired man wearing heavy armor and carrying a large battle-axe. "Fargus and his men just plugged up the breach, and—Saint Elimine, what happened to _you_?!"  
Eliwood looked down at his clothes again as Ninian turned bright red and slunk back below decks.  
  
Ninian didn't eat too much, she had been so hungry that she felt full after eating only a little. She now was looking over the rail of the ship, staring absently at the waves.  
_Who are these people?_ she thought. _And why are they being so nice to me?  
_ "NINIAN!"  
A happy feminine shout emanated from behind her. Ninian turned around to see a young lavender-haired woman almost in tears of joy.  
Somehow, she seemed vaguely familiar, but once again Ninian could not understand why.  
The young woman dashed at her, flinging her arms around her.  
"Ninian!" she repeated joyfully. "It's been so long!"  
Ninian did not return the hug, unsure of what was going on.  
"Do I...know you?" she asked, in a low voice.  
"What?" The young woman pulled away, staring at Ninian with an extremely hurt look on her face. "Y-you d-do not r-remember me?" she asked, stuttering.  
"I am sorry," Ninian replied. "Have we met before?"  
The young woman now looked like she was going to burst into tears of sadness rather than joy. "Ha ha...That's...that's r-really f-funny, Ninian," she said, trying to laugh. "You can stop j-joking now..."  
Ninian merely stared at her inquisitively.  
"No..." the young woman whispered, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "You...you have to...remember me...don't you remember me...your best friend? Florina?"  
_Florina...  
_ Again she felt the strange familiarity in her mind. What was happening?  
Florina stared at her silently for a few more seconds before turning and running back below decks, sobbing.  
Ninian turned back to the waves sadly. She felt bad for making Florina cry, but she felt worse because she didn't know why or how she had done it.  
"Ninian?"  
She turned around to find Eliwood a few feet away from her. He was now wearing a clean shirt and pants after the little incident from earlier.   
"Lord Eliwood," Ninian said. He was the only person on the ship that she knew the name of, besides now Florina.  
Eliwood walked up beside her and leaned against the rail of the ship. "I...I saw what just happened," he said awkwardly.  
"Lord Eliwood," Ninian said, "why does everyone on this ship...seem to know who I am?"  
Eliwood sighed and looked down at the waves. "You...truly do not remember," he said, half to himself.  
"What do you mean?" Ninian asked, confused.  
"Well, I am not sure about this, but..." He looked back up. "You were so weak when we first found you...I think you may have lost your memory."  
"Then," she began almost frantically, "then how can I get my memory back?"  
Eliwood sighed again. "I do not know," he said. "But...I am sure it will come back eventually."  
Ninian turned back to the waves. "I hope so..." Being around lots of people she did not know was making her uncomfortable.  
They both stood there silently for some time, watching the water. Ninian wasn't sure how long it was before Eliwood spoke. "You'll probably want to get some rest now," he suggested. "Tomorrow we'll arrive at Valor."  
Ninian felt a strange tingling in the back of her head as he uttered the proper name for the Dread Isle. The sensation caused her to shudder involuntarily.  
Eliwood apparently took notice of that, as he asked, "Are you all right?"  
"I think so," she replied. "Probably just a chill."  
For some reason, though, she couldn't shake off the feeling that it was something far worse than that...  
  


* * *

  
Whelp, it took awhile to get out, but there you are. I can see my reviews now, so post away :D  
I might be slowing down in my updates a bit over the next week or so. I have about a million homework assignments to do and more are just going to keep coming. I'll try to update as fast as I can, but don't be surprised if it takes awhile.  
Oh yeah, I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but I expanded my bio. Check it out.  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	7. Anguish

Only two reviews? *sniff*  
  
The Story Master 125: I hope you can update your story soon as well. I really like it :)  
  
khmerboi919: Well, it _is_ kinda hard to write about a chapter I've never played, don't you think? No, I'm not going to write about it.  
  
**

Chapter Seven  
Anguish  
  


** "Miss Florina?"  
Ninian approached a visibly upset Florina the next day. She sat on some barrels at the boat's stern, simply gazing at the floor as though oblivious to all around her. Ninian's voice, however, seemed to snap her out of her trance. She looked up at Ninian, and her lower lip began to quiver, as if she was going to start crying all over again.  
"W-what is it?" Florina asked shakily.  
"I..." Ninian began slowly, "I wanted to...apologize for yesterday."  
Florina's expression suddenly brightened hopefully. "D-do you mean...you remember me now?"  
Ninian shook her head sadly, and Florina's hopeful look vanished. "I do not," Ninian said, "but Lord Eliwood...he says...that my memory was lost. He says...that it will come back eventually."  
"Then...then..." Florina seemed unable to speak.  
"Yes," Ninian answered her question before she asked. "I do not know when...but at some point...I will remember you again."  
Florina smiled.  
"In the meantime," Ninian continued, turning red, "I wanted to apologize...for—for yesterday. I...I did not mean—"  
Florina cut her off by suddenly embracing her. "It...it's all right," she said. "It's not your fault...if you lost your memory."  
Ninian returned the embrace this time, although briefly. After letting go, she added, "For now...we could...still be friends, right?"  
Florina's smile grew wider. "Of course," she said. "It will be like...just meeting each other all over again..."  
Ninian smiled back, but Florina's face suddenly seemed a bit saddened, although she continued to smile.  
"Do...do you really not remember me at all?" Florina asked.  
"I...I am sorry, I do not," Ninian replied. "But...your name...does seem a bit familiar."  
Florina simply stared at her silently for a few moments before getting up. "Well," she said happily, "you've certainly made me feel a lot better. Thank you, Ninian."  
Ninian's face turned pink. "It...it is my pleasure, Florina."  
  
"Land ho!"  
One of Fargus's crewmembers cried out from the crow's nest as the fog-enshrouded Valor became visible over the horizon. Ninian stood at the bow of the ship with the rest of the army as the isle got closer and closer...  
  
Something..._something_ wasn't right...  
"Ninian?"  
Eliwood's voice snapped Ninian out of her thoughts as the army stood on the beach of the Dread Isle. She blinked a few times, then looked at him.  
"Ninian, are you all right?" he asked.  
Truthfully, she didn't know. A voice in her head was screaming at her, telling her to get as far away from the isle as possible.  
"Ninian?"  
Again Eliwood's voice brought her back to reality. "I..." she began, but quickly fell silent as she felt a tingling sensation in the back of her head.  
"What's the matter?" he asked. "You look pale..."  
"I—"  
_Get AWAY!  
_ The sudden volume of the voice in her mind caused her to shiver in fright. "I-I should not...have come here..."  
The tingling sensation in her head suddenly flared and became nearly unbearable. Ninian sank to her knees, clutching her head. Eliwood quickly stooped down and picked her up off the ground, but he nearly dropped her when he heard another scream.  
"Lyn!" he shouted.  
A part of Ninian's mind remembered the name, but the thought was quickly shunted aside by the pain she was feeling.  
She managed to open her eyes despite the pain. About twenty feet away from her, a dark-skinned man riding an almost gold-haired horse was holding captive the green-haired woman Ninian remembered from the ship.  
The dark-skinned man scanned the rest of the army, who were all drawing their weapons. His eyes settled on Ninian, and for a moment their eyes met.  
And in that moment, the pain in her head flared again, and she screamed. She didn't know how, but she _knew_ that the dark-skinned man was full of evil.  
A pair of strong hands suddenly gripped her shoulders, and she whipped around to find a heavily armored man. He had short brown hair and brown eyes, and his armor bore the blue of Eliwood's army.  
"Do not worry," the armored man said. "I will protect you while Lords Eliwood and Hector take care of our enemies."  
She was only dimly aware of the armored man leading her slowly to a tent. She felt the pain in her head diminishing as they drew further away from the rest of the army.  
"Oh, my!" she heard a male voice exclaim. "Is she all right?"  
"She will be fine," the voice of the armored man said. "Take care of her while I protect your tent."  
"Of course."  
She felt something soft, a bed, as someone laid her down on it.  
Her eyes suddenly snapped open and she gasped as a cold, wet towel landed on her forehead.  
"Are you all right there?" asked a man standing over her. He was somewhat short, with blue-green hair and a moustache.  
"Ye-yes," she answered as the pain in her head continued to subside.  
She looked around. The tent she was in had all sorts of weapons stacked everywhere. Swords, lances, and axes littered the ground while magic tomes of all affinities lay on small shelves.  
"Where...where am I?" Ninian asked.  
"Oh, I don't believe we've met," the man said. "My name is Merlinus. I manage the storage for Lord Eliwood's army."  
She tried to sit up, but Merlinus pushed her back down. "Not now," he said. "You need some rest. You're looking pretty pale."  
Ninian shuddered as she felt the sensation in her head again, now reduced back to just tingling.  
"See?" Merlinus said. "You're already having chills. Do you feel all right?"  
"I think so..." Ninian replied.  
"Well, you should stay in bed," Merlinus replied. "You can't go out there in the middle of a battle."  
Ninian didn't reply. She just rested her head on the pillow and fell asleep.  
  
The next day passed in a blur for Ninian. All she knew was that the army was heading towards something called the Dragon's Gate. The tingling sensation in the back of her head remained, however. She didn't know why, but she felt as though she should not go to the Dragon's Gate; that something terrible would happen if she did.  
She stayed by Eliwood as they traveled further into the isle. For some reason, despite her sense of foreboding, she felt safe around him. If something did happen as she thought it would, she felt as though Eliwood would protect her.  
It was late afternoon when the army reached the Dragon's Gate. The temple was absolutely monstrous, crafted with bricks so large it seemed as though there was no way humans could possibly have constructed anything like it.  
It scared Ninian.  
She grabbed Eliwood's arm and clung to it before he could talk to anyone about what to do.  
Eliwood looked at her, concerned. "What's the matter, Ninian?" he asked.  
"Th-this place," Ninian stammered. "I should n-not be here...s-something will—"  
There was suddenly a bright flash, and Ninian involuntarily let go of Eliwood's arm and shielded her eyes.  
That wasn't a very good idea.  
A pair of hands suddenly grabbed her shoulders hard. She tried to turn around, to see who it was, but whoever was holding her had too strong a grip.  
"So," a low male voice came from behind her, "the little bird has returned to its island cage."  
The sensation in Ninian's head became painful once again. She screamed and thrashed about, but her captor's grip held fast..  
Eliwood drew his rapier. "Let her go," he said calmly.  
The response was a malevolent chuckle. "Let her go?" the voice asked almost incredulously. "This little girl is integral to my master's plans, and I intend to help him complete them."  
Eliwood lunged for her captor, but suddenly there was another flash, and Eliwood was nowhere to be seen. Ninian looked around and discovered that that was because her captor had teleported the two of them inside the Dragon's Gate.  
"Let me go!" she cried in sheer terror.  
To her surprise, he did so, but that did nothing to calm her nerves. She didn't know where to go, where to run—what could she do?  
She turned to face her captor. He was tall, with jet black hair contrasting against almost completely white skin. His eyes were golden, and seemed to glitter.  
He smirked.  
"Well done, Ephidel," came a voice from behind her. She whirled around to find another man. He had dark green hair, but most of it was covered in a black turban that also covered his right eye. He wore all black robes.  
"What perfect timing, little Ninian," the as-yet-unnamed man said. "It just so happens I now have the power to open the Dragon's Gate. With your help, of course..." He smirked.  
Ninian had no intention to help this man, whoever he was. She was about to say "no" when the man continued, his smirk growing wider. "So you have lost your memories as well...even better. It will be even easier to control you now."  
"No..." she said. "No!"  
And then, suddenly, her body became limp. She could not move at all, except for her eyes. It was as if she was frozen, until—  
**_Obey.  
_** The voice of the man thundered through her head, even though his mouth did not move. To her surprise, her legs began to move against her will, walking towards the man and the Dragon's Gate. She tried to resist—  
**_Obey.  
_** —but the voice in her head and the power of the man controlling her was too strong. She could do nothing but watch in horror as her body was forced to look straight into the gaping blackness of the Dragon's Gate...  
"Nergal, _stop!_" A third voice came from behind her. Ninian's body turned around under the man's command, and she stared at—Eliwood?  
It wasn't Eliwood. Whoever it was, he was much too old to be Eliwood. He looked awfully like him, though...  
He was on the ground, practically crawling up to the man that was controlling Ninian. He looked utterly helpless.  
"Fool," Nergal spat. "You can do nothing but cower in fear now. Behold as I claim the mighty quintessence of dragons!"  
"_FATHER!_"  
Eliwood's voice suddenly emanated from the steps leading up to the Dragon's Gate. Seconds later, he, Lyn, and the blue-haired man were running up the steps. Lyn and the blue-haired man immediately tended to Eliwood's father, while Eliwood was fixated on Ninian.  
"Ninian!" he called. "Come! Over here!"  
**_Obey.  
_** As much as she wanted to, she still could not move.  
"Now, Ninian," Nergal commanded. "Take this..._man's_ life, and use it to open the Gate."  
Her hands reached out in front of her and red energy began to appear around Eliwood's father. The energy moved away from him, towards her, and she realized with a jolt that she was taking his quintessence away from him.  
"Now!" Nergal shouted almost gleefully. "Open the Gate!"  
Ninian's arms raised skyward, and the red energy that had coalesced around her hands scattered. The ground began to shake. She could feel an immense energy from behind her—from the Dragon's Gate. It was opening...  
"_Ninian!_"  
And then all hell broke loose.  
The cry had not come from Eliwood or any of her captors. It had come from someone she knew well...  
_Nils.  
_ He came running up the steps, taking two at a time to get to his sister faster.  
And everything came rushing back to her. Who she was, why she was here, and what exactly she was doing...  
**_Obey._** The voice boomed through her head again.  
But this time, Ninian resisted harder.  
_No.  
_ She forced her arms downward.  
Nergal turned to her, seeing victory slipping through his fingers. "No! You _will_ call dragons!"  
"I will not," she replied, now possessing control of her mouth as well.  
**_Obey. OBEY!_** The voice was now louder, more frantic. But still, Ninian resisted.  
"Ninian!" Nils called. "Get away, now!"  
She did so as she felt the energy from behind her begin to destabilize. Caught in a state between open and closed, the Gate's energy fluctuated, as if it was trying to decide whether or not it should open. As Ninian and now Nergal ran away from the portal, it began to close, sucking in anything near it. That happened to include Ephidel, who had not gotten away in time.  
Ninian, Nils, Nergal, Eliwood, Lyn, Hector, and Elbert watched as with a final flash, the Gate closed, and all was silent.  
Nergal rounded on Nils. "Nils, you whelp! You ruined every—"  
He didn't notice Elbert staggering towards his back, holding Ninian's old killing edge. With his last ounce of strength, he drove the dagger deep, deep into Nergal's spine.  
"You...will...not!" Elbert said, his breath coming in ragged gasps.  
"W-...what?" Nergal choked out. "How..."  
He began to fall, but before he hit the ground, he disappeared with a flash.  
Elbert, his energy spent, collapsed on the ground. Everyone else immediately rushed over to him.  
"Beware..." he breathed. "He...will return..."  
"No..." Ninian looked at Eliwood, and saw him fighting to hold back tears. "You...you can't go now...not after all we've done to find you..."  
Ninian felt absolutely miserable as tears began to roll down her face. Nils placed his hand on her shoulder, but it did nothing to make her feel better.  
Elbert was dying, and it was all her fault. Even if Nergal was controlling her...she still had taken Elbert's quintessence from him.  
With a sigh, Elbert let out his last breath, and Eliwood gave a long, despairing cry into the air.  
And Ninian collapsed to the ground, sobbing.  
Elbert was dead. And she had killed him.  
  


* * *

  
Oh, geez, this chapter took me awhile. And once again, I hate writing angst. Unfortunately, there's going to be quite a bit more as the story progresses...  
What do you guys think of this chapter?  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	8. Undeserving

Gah...it's taking me too long to update this...  
The Story Master 125: Yeah, it really sucks to do so much work just to have Elbert die anyway...although it IS fun to kill everyone :P  
  
DrillingPlanet: Yeah, I wondered where he got the knife too. The killing edge seems to fit well...  
  
AmbieChan: Thanks for your review! (and also your review of _Defiance_!)  
  
khmerboi919: Thanks for your review!  
  
**

Chapter Eight  
Undeserving  
  


** The journey back to the mainland of Lycia was hard on everyone, knowing that they had failed their mission, but Ninian seemed to lapse into a state of utter despair. Her reunion with her brother and the fact that she now remembered everyone did nothing to raise her spirits. She spent most of the days sitting at the stern of the boat, staring at the slowly shrinking Valor...the place that had caused her so much pain.  
"Ninian..."  
Ninian slowly looked up and saw Florina.  
"What's wrong? You've been...just sitting here all day."  
Ninian looked away. She didn't want to talk about it, and even thinking about what had happened caused a sob to start forming in her throat.  
Florina was undaunted. "Talking to someone will make you feel better," she said. "Did...did something happen...on Valor that we don't know about?"  
_Of course, I killed Eliwood's father!_ she screamed mentally, but she remained silent.  
"Ninian, please..." Florina pleaded.  
"You don't understand," Ninian whispered angrily. "You have no _idea_ of what...what I went through." Tears began streaking down her face, but she ignored them. "Just leave me alone!"  
Florina sat down next to her, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Ninian," she said, "it's okay. Just—"  
"_No!_" Ninian quickly stood up, shaking off Florina's arm. "I...I can't...no..."  
Burying her face in her hands, she ran back below decks, leaving a hurt Florina to stare out to sea.  
  
Ninian ran down the small hallway, tears blurring her vision. All she wanted to do was collapse on her bed and cry her heart out. She was about to open the door to her compartment when she was stopped by a sound.  
She listened to it. It sounded like...someone crying.  
Walking further down the musty hallway, she found the source of the sound.  
It was Eliwood.  
The door to his compartment was open, allowing Ninian to see inside. The body of Elbert lay on the bed, cold and lifeless. On a chair next to the bed sat Eliwood. He gripped his father's hand tightly, sobbing.  
It was utterly heart-wrenching for Ninian to watch. It was bad enough knowing she had killed Elbert...but seeing Eliwood in such a state _because_ of what she had done was too much for her.  
A sob escaped her lips, and she collapsed on the ground. She couldn't take all the pain...she just wanted everything to end.  
"N-Ninian."  
She looked up at the sound of Eliwood's voice. His face was tear-streaked, but he was trying his hardest to keep himself collected. He had his hand extended towards her, offering her up. She took it, but as she did she glanced at Elbert's body, and started crying anew. She held onto Eliwood for fear of collapsing again, sobbing into his shoulder.  
"L-Lord Eliwood," she sobbed, "I...I-I'm s-so sorry..."  
He said nothing; he simply placed his arms around her, tears falling silently down his face.  
  
The army arrived in Badon with somewhat lighter spirits after a few days. During that time Ninian had been able to apologize to Florina and also inform her that she remembered her now, which had at least improved Florina's mood.  
The army filed into one of the larger inns in Badon as night fell. Most of the soldiers went directly to their rooms, but the three lords, Ninian, and Nils stayed behind in the entrance. None of them felt particularly like sleeping at the moment.  
"Ninian?" Lyn asked suddenly.  
"Yes?" she replied.  
"Are you feeling better?"  
"I...I suppose so."  
"How about you, Nils?" she asked, turning to him.  
"I'm fine," he replied.  
Lyn smiled slightly. "That's good. It's been so long since I've seen you...you really must tell me what happened after you left Caelin."  
The blue-haired lord suddenly butted in. "Care to talk about things the rest of us can follow?" he asked, looking to Eliwood for support. He received none.  
"Hector, please," Lyn said, exasperated. She turned back to Ninian and Nils. "I guess I should introduce you all...Ninian, Nils, this is Hector, brother of the marquess of Ostia. Don't be fooled by the way he acts...he's actually a nice guy."  
Hector smiled proudly, puffing out his chest slightly. "Pleased to meet you, Ninian, Nils."  
Lyn rolled her eyes before gesturing at Eliwood. "And I suppose you remember Eliwood here..."  
Eliwood gave the siblings a small smile.  
"Of course," Nils said. "Lord Elbert...he told us much about you..."  
Eliwood's smile quickly disappeared. "You...you met my father?"  
"Yes," Nils said. "He was there, with us, at the Dragon's Gate. He was the one who set us free, but..."  
"But what?" Eliwood asked.  
"He...he was thrown out of the boat in a storm," Ninian said, gesturing at Nils. "When that happened, I..."  
"Yes, we found you, but you had lost your memory," Lyn said. "Ninian...I can't believe we brought you right back to your captors. I...I'm sorry for—"  
"No," Ninian interrupted. "Lyn, you did nothing wrong...when Nils fell overboard, I became lost within myself. This...all that happened was because of me..." Her eyes began welling with tears. "If only I had...been stronger...all of this could have been avoided..."  
"Why was Nergal after you?" Eliwood asked.  
Nils answered, but Ninian no longer heard him. All she could think about was her own weakness...how everything that happened was all her fault...  
"Nils!" Lyn suddenly shouted, as if he had said something inappropriate. The shout brought Ninian back to her senses.  
"It's all right," Eliwood said slowly. "Please...please go on..."  
"Your father," Nils said, looking at the floor, "When we lost hope...he told us stories...about his wife...and you. Lord Eliwood...your father...he saved us..."  
Eliwood looked ready to burst into tears. "Oh...Father..." he said to himself.  
Ninian stared at him sadly. All of his pain...it was all because of her weakness...  
She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Nils behind her.  
"We should go," he said. He looked at Eliwood. "He...he needs to be alone."  
Ninian turned and walked to her room with Nils, but not without giving one last glance back at Eliwood.  
  
Trying to get to sleep was futile. Every time Ninian closed her eyes, the image of her taking Elbert's quintessence flashed through her mind. She decided to get up and go for a short walk; maybe it would clear her head.  
However, as she walked to the entrance of the inn, she noticed that Eliwood was still there. He sat in a chair next to the wall, simply looking down at the floor.  
She couldn't stand seeing him in so much pain...all because of _her_...  
She walked over to him.  
"L-Lord Eliwood..."  
Eliwood's head snapped up. "What? Oh, Ninian, I didn't see you there...you startled me."  
She merely stared at him sadly. She didn't know what to say.  
"I...I'm sorry about before," he continued. "I didn't mean to get so upset...I just...needed some time to think."  
Ninian continued to stare at him.  
"Are you all right?" he asked. "You shouldn't be up so late...you're very pale. Come on...you should get some rest..."  
"Why?" Ninian asked suddenly.  
Eliwood looked at her inquisitively. "Why what?"  
"Lord Eliwood...why are...why were you and Lord Elbert...so kind to us?" Her eyes began welling with tears. She didn't deserve their kindness at all...  
Eliwood stood up. "Why should we not be? You've been through a lot, Ninian, we all have—"  
"—because of me!" she finished for him, starting to cry. "All of this...everything that has happened...it is all because of me...my weakness...I don't—"  
"Ninian," Eliwood said sadly. "Please...do not blame yourself for this..."  
"B-but it's _all my fault!_" she sobbed. "L-Lord Elbert...I killed him! I was the one who—"  
"No," Eliwood interrupted her. "You did not. Nergal killed my father. Even if it was through you...he still was the one who..." he trailed off.  
Ninian continued to sob.  
"Ninian," Eliwood said calmly. He placed his hand under her chin, lifting her head up so she was looking directly at him. "Please, listen to me. None of this is your fault. You have suffered so much...please, do not punish yourself further..."  
"Lord Eliwood...d-do you really believe that?" she asked.  
Eliwood gave her a tiny smile. "I do," he said. "All of what has happened...is because of Nergal. Ninian...crying ill suits a girl of your beauty. I do not want to see you in so much pain. Please..."  
Ninian was speechless, mostly from Eliwood calling her beautiful. "Lord Eliwood...I...—ah!"  
The sensation in the back of her head suddenly flared to life.  
"What is it?" Eliwood asked.  
"Someone...someone is coming to attack us!"  
  


* * *

  
I think that's the first time I've ever done a cliffhanger...even though you all know what happens next anyway...  
What do you guys think?  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	9. Resolve

Sorry about the late update, but my history class has just been overwhelming me. Stupid AP...I just had THREE tests that all came within two weeks of each other. But enough about that...  
  
Eight reviews...now that's more like it :D  
  
The Story Master 125: You're not the only romance sap here...but unfortunately the romance won't appear until a little later.  
  
DrillingPlanet: Well, Ninian's supposed to beat up on herself. She does it throughout the whole game.  
  
Millenium Slinky (x2): Hey! You're back! It was weird without your reviews ^_^  
  
AmbieChan: I'm quite possibly the exact opposite. I may be good at canon stories, but I can't do AUs to save my life. I'm not creative enough :/  
  
Dissonant Rhapsody: Yeah, I really don't see why everyone bashes Ninian...she might not be a good character in battle, but still...  
Surprisingly enough, I actually think this was the first Eliwood/Ninian story posted here. At least, the first to focus on only the two of them...  
  
SkyFireZero: Heh, if you're looking for other guys who write romance (and if you're a Golden Sun fan), check out Pureauthor's stories. He's much better than I am, I can tell you that much.  
  
o.o: Thanks for your review!  
  
**

Chapter Nine  
Resolve  


**  
"Someone...someone is coming to attack us!"  
Eliwood didn't waste a second. His expression suddenly serious, he quickly strode to the inn's entrance. "Ninian!" he said. "Go get everyone! I'll make sure nobody gets inside!"  
Ninian nodded, but as she turned to the rooms, Eliwood stopped her.  
"And Ninian?" he asked.  
She turned back to him, her expression curious. "Yes?"  
"Remember, none of this is your fault," he replied. "Be strong..."  
She gave him a small smile before rushing back to the rooms. Although groggy, all of the soldiers quickly prepared for battle once they heard they were under attack. Strangely, though, Lyn, Hector and Nils were not in their rooms. The absence of the latter worried her. What if something had happened to him?  
She rushed back to the entrance to find Eliwood still there. The other soldiers were already outside. "Eliwood!" she said.  
He turned to her. "What is it?"  
"Where's Nils?" she asked.  
"Right here," Nils's voice came from behind Eliwood. He stepped into the inn. "I was just talking with Lyn and Hector."  
"All right," Eliwood said. "I need you two to stay inside. Don't leave the inn until we come back, okay?"   
They both nodded, and Eliwood headed outside.  
It was only a few moments, however, before Ninian was thinking of what he had said to her.  
_Be strong...  
_ Strength. That was something she believed she severely lacked. And yet Eliwood, the man who had done so much for her, the man who helped her despite his pain, believed that she could be strong...  
Her face fell slightly as she thought of everything Eliwood had done for her. He had saved her and Nils not once but twice from Nergal's clutches, and even now he was fighting to keep her protected. And even after all of that...  
She had done nothing for him in return...  
_Be strong...  
_ Eliwood's words echoing in her head, she made her decision. She would help Eliwood and his army; she would be strong...for Eliwood's sake.  
She began to walk towards the door, but Nils stopped her.  
"Ninian! Where do you think you're going?" he asked.  
"I am going to help them," she replied, turning to him.  
Nils was speechless. "But...you can't...you'll..." he stammered.  
"Nils," she said softly. "You must understand. Lord Eliwood...he has done so much for us, and I have done nothing for him in return. Lyn told us that my dances would invigorate the army...it is the least I can do for him..."  
Nils stared at her for a moment, then nodded.  
"I understand," he said. "But before you go...give me your hands."  
She didn't know why he would ask such a thing, but she complied anyway. She held out her hands, and Nils took them in his own. He closed his eyes—  
—and suddenly Ninian could feel..._something_...coursing through her. It started at her hands and spread throughout her whole body. It seemed to be coming directly from Nils, and although she wasn't sure what it was, it felt warm and energizing.  
After a few seconds, Nils let go. Ninian suddenly thought he looked very tired.  
"That...should do it," he said.  
"What...what did you do?" she asked him.  
"I gave you...some of my power," he replied. "You were too weak to go out on your own...so I gave you a little boost." He smiled slightly.  
"But...how did you—"  
"Do not worry about it," he interrupted her. He then gave a rather large yawn.  
"Are you all right?" Ninian asked.  
"Giving my power to you...takes a lot out of me," he replied. "Do not worry...I will be fine. Now go help Eliwood...my power will make your dances more helpful to him."  
She nodded, then turned and walked out the door.  
  
Luckily for Ninian, the army was still directly outside the inn. She looked for Eliwood amongst the soldiers in the moonlight, then finding him after a moment, she ran over to him.  
Eliwood turned and immediately took on a look of concern. "Ninian?" he asked. "Is everything all right?"  
"Everything is fine," she replied. "I...I want to help..."  
"Ninian," he said, "you really should not be out here..."  
"No..." she said. "Lord Eliwood...you have done so much for me and Nils. This..."  
She closed her eyes and began to dance slowly. It was short, only a few steps, but even for that short time she could feel energy rushing through her.  
"This is the least I can do for you..."  
Eliwood looked down at himself, bewildered. "What...what is going on?" he asked. "My body...it..."  
"My dances," Ninian replied. "They will invigorate anyone who watches them. Lord Eliwood, please...allow me to help you..."  
He stared at Ninian for a moment, unsure.  
"Are...are you sure this is what you want to do?" he asked.  
She nodded. "Yes...Lord Eliwood, please..."  
"Very well," Eliwood replied. "But Ninian, please...stay by my side. If anything were to happen to you..." He looked like he was going to say more, but he trailed off.  
"Lord Eliwood..." she said, "thank you."  
  
Watching the battle was rather gruesome, and Ninian began to regret her decision to help Eliwood. But every time she looked at him, tired out from another fight with a Black Fang member, she again remembered all of the things he had done for her. She would quickly dance for him, re-energizing him and making sure that he was always at full strength.  
However, some time into the battle, Eliwood was unable to keep his promise of protecting her.  
Of course, it was through no fault of his own—he was engaged in a fight with another enemy soldier, and could not come to her aid for fear that he might be struck down.  
Ninian, watching the fight, felt the tingling sensation in her head return as she heard a salacious chuckle from behind her.  
She turned to find another enemy soldier there. From his attire she could tell he was obviously a simple bandit, but that didn't make him any less dangerous.  
"Well, well," he mused, "what's a pretty girl like you doing out here at night?"  
The way he said "pretty girl" made it quite obvious to Ninian what he wanted to do.  
She screamed.  
The man took one step toward her, but he didn't get a chance to take another. He suddenly stiffened and fell to the ground, a gaping hole through his back. Looking up, she saw Florina on her pegasus hovering just a few feet above the ground. Looking at Florina's lance, Ninian saw that it was covered in blood.  
"Ninian! Are you all right?"  
That came from both Florina and Eliwood, who had now finished his fight, at the same time.  
"Y-...yes," she replied. "I'm fine."  
Florina smiled and flew away. As she did so, Ninian noticed that her pegasus was covered in what seemed to be decorations that had not been there when she was traveling with Lyn.  
Eliwood, on the other hand, didn't seem so pleased with himself. "I'm sorry, Ninian," he said. "I should have—"  
"It is all right," Ninian interrupted him. "You were in a fight...I do not expect you to..." she trailed off.  
They stared at each other awkwardly for a few moments, seeming to forget about the battle around them.  
Suddenly, Eliwood's face took on a look of panic.  
"_Ninian!_"  
He rushed towards her, but before he could get to her, something hard smashed against her head. She fell to the ground and blacked out.  
  
Ninian awoke to the faces of Nils, Florina, and Eliwood all crowded over her.  
"Ah! She's awake!" Nils said, relieved.  
"What...what happened?" Ninian asked, sitting up. As she did so, her head began to throb dully. She looked around and noticed that she was back in her room at the inn.  
"A bandit sneaked up behind you knocked you out," Eliwood explained, sounding deflated.  
"Are you all right?" Florina asked.  
Ninian moved her hand to the back of her head, feeling a small lump there. It hurt when she touched it, but otherwise she could ignore it.  
"I...I think so," Ninian replied.  
Florina and Nils smiled, but Eliwood did not. "That's good," Florina said. She turned to leave the room, but Ninian stopped her.  
"Wait," she said.  
Florina turned back to Ninian. "What is it?"  
"Why...why does your pegasus...have decorations?" Ninian asked. "I don't...remember those..."  
Florina beamed, almost bursting with pride. "While you were gone, I was promoted to the rank of Falcoknight by the Caelin army. The decorations are symbols of my rank."  
Ninian smiled slowly, unsure of how to respond.  
Fortunately, Florina continued, "Well...it looks like you're okay, so..." She turned and left the room.  
Ninian looked back to Eliwood, who was now leaning against the wall of the room, looking depressed.  
"Lord Eliwood," she said.  
He looked up at her slowly.  
"Is...is everything all right?" she asked.  
He shook his head.  
Nils apparently realized that this was a private issue and silently left the room.  
"What's the matter?" Ninian asked.  
"I should have been there," he murmured almost inaudibly.  
"But...you _were_ there—"  
"I mean I should have been there to protect you!" he said angrily, though his anger was more directed at himself than at Ninian. "I promised I would protect you! And..." his voice suddenly became very soft, "...and..._this_ happened..."  
"Lord Eliwood," she pleaded, "it was through no fault of yours that I was attacked..."  
"But that doesn't change my promise!" he said, angry at himself again. "Ninian, I—"  
"Please, Lord Eliwood...do not blame yourself..."  
"Ninian," he said softly, "I...I don't think you should join me in battle anymore..."  
"No," she replied. "Lord Eliwood...you told me that I should be strong...so I want to come with you."  
Eliwood remained silent.  
"This was just a small slip," Ninian continued. "I...I believe that you can protect me..."  
Eliwood stared at her for a moment, before replying, "Really?" His cheeks were rather red.  
She nodded solemnly.  
Eliwood looked like he didn't know what to say.  
"Ninian..."  
  


* * *

  
Once again, I apologize for the delay. I think I made up for it with all the fluff in this chapter...  
Hopefully the next chapter will be posted faster than this one.  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	10. Ambivalence

Argh. Another delayed chapter. Sorry people, I've been having writers block for the past week, not to mention the load of work I've just had dumped on me in school...  
On the plus side, eight reviews once again :D  
  
SkyFireZero: Uh...what do you mean, "what's going on with Florina"?  
  
Spectral Flame: O_O _Ninety-two percent?_ How much time do you put into getting supports?! My support percentage is somewhere around 5!  
  
The Story Master 125: I've already reviewed your last chapter and your one-shot. They're both great :)  
  
GuyWithNoAct: Thanks for your review!  
  
Jeanie: Thanks for your review!  
  
yAy!!: Thanks for your review!  
  
AmbieChan: *grins evilly* Oh, we'll be bending the rules more than just "a bit" later on...  
  
Rebel581: Thanks for your review!  
  
**

Chapter Ten  
Ambivalence

  
** With the knowledge that the Black Fang were still pursuing them, Eliwood and his army decided it would be best to return to Ostia and meet with Hector's brother, Lord Uther, in order to come up with a plan. They had agreed to meet with Lord Uther in an old fortress on the border of Ostia, so that no spy would be able to learn what was going on.  
The few days the group spent traveling to Ostia passed without incident. Ninian spent most of her time talking with Florina or Eliwood, although the latter kept having to break up arguments between Lyn and Hector.  
Nils, on the other hand, didn't look very good. It occurred to Ninian that maybe Nils had given her too much of his power, but every time she asked him about it, Nils said he would be fine in a little while. Yet, every time she looked at him he seemed to be growing paler and more tired. Ninian feared the worst for him if his energy didn't return soon...  
  
The group arrived at the small Ostian fortress without fanfare. One of the knights informed Hector that his brother was not present, but that he would be arriving shortly.  
"We might as well go to the throne room," Hector commented, looking at Eliwood and Lyn. They both agreed. Eliwood asked Ninian and Nils to come with them, as the siblings were important in the conflict with Nergal.  
The throne room was not far away, but Ninian noticed that Nils was trudging the short distance with what seemed to be great effort. He looked like he could collapse any second.  
"Nils?" she asked softly.  
He stopped and turned to her. "What is it?" he replied.  
"Are you all right? You are...very pale..."  
Nils slowly nodded and smiled weakly. "I feel weak, but now that we have stopped traveling, I can rest. If we rest here for the night...I'll...I'll be bet—"  
He never finished his sentence as his strength suddenly gave out and he collapsed, unconscious.  
Ninian panicked. "_Nils!_"  
The three lords, walking ahead of the siblings, heard the scream and came rushing to Ninian's aid.  
Ninian quickly got down on her knees and began shaking Nils's body. "Nils? Nils! Open your eyes!" she cried, almost hysterical.  
"Ninian!" Eliwood's voice came from behind her. "Please...calm down. What happened?"  
She stood up, still looking at Nils's crumpled form. "He...he..."  
Hector didn't even wait for an explanation. "Let's move him into the back room and call a healer," he suggested.  
But even as he said that, a terrible possibility jumped into Ninian's mind. Transferring energy...what Nils had done certainly wasn't something a normal human could do...  
Hector walked over to Nils and bent down to pick him up.  
And what if...what if the healer examined him and could find out that he was a—  
"_Wait!_"  
The three lords looked at Ninian, startled.  
"You mustn't move him!" she shouted, as her mind raced frantically for a possible explanation.  
"Why not?" Hector asked. "He looks like he needs some help..."  
"Please," she pleaded, turning to Lyn and Eliwood. "You cannot move him." She recalled Nils's words. "One night's rest...that will make things right..."  
Her mind raced as her eyes darted from Eliwood, to Lyn, to Hector, then back to Eliwood again, looking for any possible sign that the lords would believe her. Hector didn't seem to believe her one bit, while Lyn was simply staring at her with a very slight look of suspicion on her face.  
Eliwood, however, trusted her. "Let's do as she says," he decided. "She..." he looked at her, "she must have her reasons."  
"Well," Hector said, although Ninian could tell he still had his doubts, "all right. I'll let everyone know." He left to do so.  
Lyn stared at her for a moment longer before walking away with Hector.  
Eliwood walked over to Nils and knelt down beside him, trying to determine what was wrong. After a few moments, he looked back up at Ninian.  
"Are you sure he will be all right?" he asked.  
She wasn't. She was scared out of her mind at the possibility that Nils might be worse than unconscious...  
But once again, she recalled Nils's words, and decided to trust them.  
"He...he will be fine," she replied, looking at Nils's unconscious form. "Just let him rest..."  
Eliwood stood up. "Well, all right," he replied.  
They both stood there silently for some time, Ninian looking at Nils. Hearing no movement from Eliwood, she looked up at him...and found him staring at her.  
Of course, he quickly looked down at Nils immediately afterward, but the pink tinge that crept into his cheeks told Ninian that he had been...admiring her. Her own cheeks turned pink themselves as she recalled how Eliwood had called her beautiful that other night...  
Sparing them both from further awkwardness, an Ostian knight came rushing into the room.  
"Lord Eliwood!" the knight shouted. "You must come quickly! We are under attack!" He then rushed off to help defend the fortress.  
Eliwood took on a look of concern and started for the fortress's entrance, but he suddenly stopped and looked at Nils, then at Ninian.  
"What are we going to do with Nils?" he asked her. "We can't move him..."  
_Why did I have to say that?!_ she cursed herself. They could easily move him; it would be much better if they did...but she couldn't go back on what she had said now. Who knew what the lords would think...  
"I...I am not sure," she replied.  
Eliwood looked back at Nils, thinking.  
"Well," he began, "whoever is attacking us...I am sure they will be after you and Nils. But if we can't move him...I suppose I should stay here and...protect you both." He seemed to say the last words with some effort, and Ninian took note of this.  
"Lord Eliwood...is something wrong?" she asked.  
Eliwood sighed. "I...I don't know if..."  
Ninian immediately recognized what he was referring to. "Lord Eliwood, please," she said, "you must not let what happened the other night stop you from fighting..."  
Eliwood simply stared at her.  
She didn't know what to say to him, so she did the only thing she could think of: she began to dance for him.  
She closed her eyes as she extended her dance beyond the few steps she normally used to empower him. She felt the energy rushing through her again as she danced, becoming more powerful with each step.  
After a few moments, she stopped, and looked at Eliwood. To her surprise, he was smiling.  
"Thank you, Ninian," he said genuinely. "I needed that."  
She couldn't think of anything to say as a reply, so she merely smiled shyly at him.  
The sounds of fighting began to emanate from the entrance of the fortress.  
Eliwood moved in front of the siblings and faced the battle. He pointed his rapier directly upward and the tip sparkled in the light.  
"Nothing is going to get by me," he promised.  
And when the battle came to them, nothing did.  
  
"Unnh..."  
Ninian bent down to Nils as she heard him begin to wake up. The battle had been over for some time now, and Uther still had not arrived, so Ninian and the three lords had watched over Nils, waiting for him to regain consciousness.  
"Nils!" Ninian said. "Are you all right?"  
Nils looked up slowly, blinked a few times, then asked, "What...what happened?"  
"You passed out," Ninian explained. "Nils...you had me so worried..."  
Nils blinked again, then his face took on a look of realization. "Oh, Ninian..." he said, "I'm sorry...I knew it was a bad idea to continue in my state...but I didn't think that this would happen..."  
"What are you talking about?" Hector suddenly asked. "Are you saying you were ill beforehand?"  
Ninian stood up, but she bit her lip. How could she explain this to them? And what would they think?  
Nils, however, stood up and began to explain. "I...I transferred some of my power to Ninian," he said. "It may have been...too much. I must have collapsed because I didn't have enough strength..."  
"Why would you give that much of your power to her?" Eliwood asked.  
"She said she wanted to help you," Nils explained. "My power makes her dances more helpful to you."  
Eliwood looked at Ninian for a moment with an unreadable expression on his face before turning back to Nils.  
"But if you collapsed because you were out of strength," Hector asked, "then why couldn't we move you?"  
Nils looked confused. "What do you mean?"  
Ninian was in a state of near panic. She couldn't tell them her reasons for saying what she did...  
Hector gestured toward Ninian. "She said that—" Suddenly his eyes widened. "Oh _crap!_" he shouted. He turned and sped off to somewhere else in the fortress.  
"Hector, wait!" Eliwood called. "Where are you going?"  
Hector stopped and turned around. "We have a new recruit," he explained. "His name's Heath; he's a wyvern rider. He surrendered to us, but he didn't want to hurt his friends, so I hid him. I need to tell him he can come out now!" he shouted, then ran off again.  
Eliwood chuckled slightly, while Ninian silently breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
The three lords, Ninian, and Nils stood silently in respect as Lord Uther walked into the room and sat on the throne.  
Uther looked at his brother and smiled. "So, brother, you're alive after all," he said. "You were gone so long that I feared you were dead."  
Hector smiled back. "Yeah, well...it takes a lot to bring me down."  
Uther chuckled, then turned to Eliwood. "Eliwood," he said, "I am sorry about your father."  
Eliwood sighed. "Do not let it worry you," he said. "There was nothing that could be done."  
"Well," Uther said, "you must tell me all that is going on."  
"Do you know of Nergal?" Eliwood asked.  
"Only what Leila reported to me," Uther replied. "I know he seized control of Laus in a plot for rebellion. I don't understand what he could be after though..."  
"Have you learned about the Scouring?" Eliwood asked.  
"Of course," Uther replied. "The war between men and dragons a millenium ago."  
Ninian sighed inwardly as she remembered that horrible time...when she and her brother were banished to the realm of the dragons.  
"The dragons that vanished after the Scouring..." Eliwood said. "He wants to bring them back again."  
Uther was visibly surprised. "What?" he asked. "Can that be done?"  
"Yes," Eliwood said, and began to explain.  
Ninian, however, wasn't focused on the explanation. Instead, her mind wandered to memories of the humiliation she had suffered for being a half-dragon...  
She suddenly had a rather frightening realization. She and Nils...they were both part dragon—the very embodiment of what Eliwood and his army were fighting to protect their world against. Eliwood had protected her all this time...but what would he do when or if he found out...what she and her brother were?  
"Ninian? Are you all right?" Hector suddenly asked.  
His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Yes," she replied. "I was just thinking."  
Uther spoke up. "Eliwood has informed me that you two possess a special power," he said. "Is it possible for you...to sense where Nergal is at this moment?"  
Ninian closed her eyes and concentrated. She didn't sense anything...  
Nils did, however. "I can...barely sense him," he said. "He is..." he pointed at the wall, "that way. He is very far away..."  
"That would be to the east," Uther said. "Could he be targeting Bern next?"  
"He is still very weak," Nils continued. "We must strike quickly..."  
"Well, if you have time," Uther said, "you should go to Missur."  
"Are you serious?!" Hector exclaimed. "That's the wrong direction!"  
"I am aware of that," Uther replied. "If you go there, however, you may meet the living legend. He will aid you."  
Eliwood thought for a moment, then replied, "We will need all the help we can get. I think we should go to the desert."  
"And what do you think, Lyn?" Hector asked, turning to her.  
"I agree with Eliwood," she replied.  
Hector sighed. "Fine," he said. "I think we should strike now, but it looks like I'm in the minority..."  
"Very well," Uther said. "Go to the desert and search for the living legend."  
  
"Nils?" Ninian asked once they had gone to their room.  
"What is it?" he replied.  
"Well," she began, "are you going to be all right? After you collapsed..."  
He stared at her for a moment, then replied, "Actually...I am not sure. I thought my strength would return soon...but it hasn't. And now that we're going to the desert...I don't know if I can make it..."  
Ninian looked at the floor for a few moments, then she suddenly had an idea. She began to dance for him, just as she had done for Eliwood. She could feel the energy rushing through her, to Nils, as she danced.  
When she stopped, she opened her eyes and noticed that Nils seemed to have regained a lot of color in his face.  
He smiled. "Thank you, Ninian," he said. "I feel much better now."  
She smiled back at him.  
"I'm going to sleep," he said. "Good night, Ninian."  
"Good night, Nils."  
The siblings each went to their respective beds and lay down. Nils fell asleep quickly, but Ninian's mind kept drifting back to what she had realized earlier that day.  
It was all so strange. Eliwood...he was protecting her so that Nergal could not use her to call dragons into this world. And yet...she herself was part dragon...  
What would happen if he found out what she was? He seemed to have taken a liking to her...but surely he would not feel the same way if he knew she was a half-dragon...  
She sighed.  
It didn't matter whether she was in this world or the dragon's realm. Being a half-dragon would bring her pain no matter where she was...  
  


* * *

  
Not much to say about this chapter. Fortunately for all you readers, my April vacation starts this Friday. Vacation = more updates = more fun for all you guys :)  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	11. Doubts

Yeah, this took awhile to get out. But I spent most of my time working on my new one-shot, _Those We Least Expect_. I hope you all will check it out if you haven't already.  
On second thought, _everyone_ seems to have read it. 22 reviews! I wish I could get that many per chapter of this story...  
  
The Story Master 125: Thanks for your review!  
  
KingKazul400: A lemon? Ack, no, no and NO! I _hate_ lemons because 99% of the time lemons are unnecessary. You'll never see me doing one, I can tell you that much.  
And quite frankly I think DarkLink13 is just a pervert. Anyone who writes as many lemons as he does needs to find better things to do with his or her time.  
  
Morning Mist: Thanks for your review!  
  
Jeanie: That was a connection to _Defiance_, but it's not the only one that I'm going to have. Wait and see ;)  
  
AmbieChan: Thanks for your review!  
  
Josh: Thanks for your review!  
  
**

Chapter Eleven  
Doubts  


**  
The trip to the desert took a few weeks. Nils became noticeably more active after Ninian had helped him regain his strength, in fact he seemed to have become more active than he had been before transferring his power to Ninian.  
Ninian had quite a shock when she saw the new recruit, Heath—or more accurately, saw what he was riding. A wyvern...the cousins of dragons. Looking at his wyvern from the ground, it was easy for Ninian to mistake it for a dragon, which she did. She blanched and stopped dead in her tracks, moving only after Eliwood explained to her what she was seeing.  
She was rather embarrassed about that misconception, but Eliwood soothed her, saying, "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Anyone would be overly frightened of dragons after...experiencing what you went through at the Dragon's Gate." He said the last words carefully, as if afraid he would hurt her by bringing up memories of those events.  
But he hadn't hurt her. She merely smiled slightly and thanked him for his concern. Eliwood smiled back before rushing to catch up with the group—Ninian's little delay had left them somewhat behind the rest of the army.  
"Come on, Ninian!" he called with a playful smile as he ran, waving his arm to tell her to follow. "You're going to get left behind!"  
Ninian stifled a giggle and began to run after him.  
But the talk of dragons had made her doubts rise again. Eliwood had and continued to help her so much...but would he continue to help her if he found out that she was...what he was trying to defend this world against?  
  
"It's so hot..." Nils complained for what had to be the millionth time since they had reached the desert.  
That was true, but the rest of the group was starting to get more than a little annoyed at Nils's complaints, even after he had made the rather clever suggestion to have Heath, Florina, and Fiora fan the army with the wings of their respective mounts.  
Ninian couldn't blame him, though. Being part ice dragon, both she and Nils were unaccustomed to such heat. Ninian was feeling the heat herself, sometimes even feeling a little faint, but she had the tact not to complain about it.  
Being part ice dragon..._why do I always have to think about that?  
_ Ninian's doubts about Eliwood had been heightened when she had realized during the past few days that Eliwood...he was the only person who had ever really cared about her. Both the dragons and humans in the dragons' realm looked down upon her and her brother with disdain, and her exchanges with people of this world had been mainly...unpleasant. Lyn had helped her, too...but even that was a result of Eliwood saving her.  
Eliwood was the only person who wanted to do so much for her...but why? And what if—  
"Ninian?"  
Eliwood's voice jerked her out of her thoughts. She shook her head to clear it, then asked, "What is it, Lord Eliwood?"  
"You are looking rather faint," he remarked. He extended his arm toward her. "Please, take my arm. I do not want to see you collapse in this heat."  
There it was again. Eliwood was once again being the only one genuinely concerned about her. The thought made her somewhat uncomfortable. "Oh, I couldn't..." she replied.  
"Oh, come now," Eliwood said, giving her a small smile. He extended his arm slightly further.  
"Very well..." she said, taking his arm.  
Having some support helped, but she still felt rather awkward about Eliwood helping her.  
Eliwood apparently noticed this. "Ninian?" he asked. "Is everything all right?"  
She sighed. "Lord Eliwood..." she said softly, "it's...it's just very strange."  
"What is?" Eliwood asked.  
She gestured at his arm. "You...you are the only one who has ever helped me and my brother so much. Everyone else..." She thought for a moment. She couldn't just tell him what she was...so she decided on a different approach. "My brother and I are...different...from other people. Our clothes, our looks...other people look down on us for this. But...you do not. And...and it just seems rather strange..."  
"Why should it?" Eliwood asked. "There is nothing wrong with being different from other people. When I look at you, I don't see your differences. I just see Ninian." He smiled at her. "I see a beautiful and kindhearted girl."  
Ninian felt an intense blush creep into her cheeks as she was stunned once again by Eliwood's comment. Nobody outside of her family had ever called her beautiful before...but Eliwood had just done it for the third time. "L-Lord Eliwood..." she stammered. "Is...is that t-truly...what you believe?"  
Eliwood's smile grew larger. "It is," he replied. "Ninian, do not fret about being different from other people. Even if some people look down on you for it...others will find it very—"  
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"  
Both Eliwood and Ninian whirled around as they heard Nils scream.  
He was fine, however. Hector had merely hoisted Nils on his shoulders.  
"PutmedownputmedownputmeDOWN!" Nils shouted frantically.  
Hector just laughed at him. "You'll be fine," he said. "I just don't want you collapsing on us like you did the other day."  
Nils kicked him in the chest, but due to his armor Hector didn't even notice. "Put me down!" he repeated. "I'm going to fall! _I'm going to fall!_"  
Ninian couldn't help but laugh at such a sight.  
  
Ninian continued with Eliwood further into the desert feeling decidedly better. Granted, she still had her doubts about what might happen if Eliwood learned what she was...but after Eliwood told her that there was nothing wrong with being different...  
Maybe...just maybe...he would accept her for what she was.  
But of course he also might not, so she decided to keep her identity secret.  
After some time, Ninian saw something off in the distance. It looked like...explosions?  
She squinted at the sight in the distance. She could barely make out a man's form...and several other forms rushing at the man.  
"Lord Eliwood?" she asked, tugging on his arm slightly.  
"What is it?" Eliwood replied.  
"Over there," she pointed with her free hand. "I think...someone is under attack."  
Eliwood narrowed his eyes to get a clearer view. "You're right," he said. "Could it be the living legend?"  
Lyn walked up beside Eliwood. "Even if it is not, I despise seeing someone have to fight overwhelming odds. We should help him."  
Eliwood turned to the tactician. "What do you think?" he asked.  
The tactician watched the battle for another moment before replying, "We can do this. Let's help this man out."  
Eliwood turned back to Ninian. "Come with me," he said. "I will make sure you are protected."  
Ninian couldn't think of anything to say to that, so she just smiled at him.  
  
The battle was over quickly; the man had been under attack by only simple bandits. As it turned out, he was not the "living legend" Uther had spoken of.  
"Then do you know where we can find the living legend?" Eliwood asked the man.  
The man laughed. "Living legend...that's a good way of putting it. Yes, I do know where he is."  
"Can you lead us to him?" Eliwood asked.  
"Of course," replied the man.  
  
The man led Eliwood and his army to a strange building. It was very large, and Ninian wondered how she had not seen it before. It seemed as though the building had just appeared out of thin air once they had gotten close to it.  
As they stepped inside, Ninian and Nils saw two people. One was a young blonde woman wearing a pink shirt and skirt. The blue-haired man Eliwood and his army had rescued earlier quickly went over to the woman as he entered and kissed her. Ninian assumed that she was the man's wife.  
The other person, however, was far more intriguing. He seemed as though he must have been at least a hundred years old. His completely white hair framed his aged face and flowed into a beard that nearly reached his waist.  
Ninian, Nils, Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn all approached the aged man.  
He looked at the three lords. "Welcome, children of Roland."  
Hector coughed rather loudly. "I think you mean Lycia, old man."  
"Hector!" Eliwood reprimanded. "Don't you know who Roland is?"  
"Roland is one of the eight legends," Lyn answered for him. "He is the one who founded Lycia. But...I am from Sacae..."  
"Correct," the man said, "daughter of Hanon and Roland." Lyn seemed satisfied by that title.  
"Who are you?" Eliwood asked.  
"I am Athos," the man replied.  
The three lords all gasped. "But...aren't _you_ one of the eight legends?" Lyn asked.  
"If you were," Hector continued for her, "that would make you...over a thousand years old..." He looked at Athos, bewildered.  
"The world is full of mysteries," Athos explained cryptically. "Solve one, and along comes another..."  
Ninian and Nils were also staring at Athos, but for a different reason.  
Ninian herself was rather surprised. This was Athos—one of the eight legends, one of the eight...who had driven her from her homeland to the dragons' realm. She had expected to feel angry, furious at a man who had done such a thing. But she did not. Athos gave off a sense of calmness—he seemed like he could not possibly be the sort of person who would banish an entire race of beings to another world.  
Athos turned to Ninian and Nils. "And welcome, children of—" he paused briefly, "—destiny."  
Ninian instantly could tell that Athos knew what she and her brother were. But he made no motion to reveal that knowledge to the lords, so Ninian was not worried.  
Athos turned back to the lords. "You are here because you want to stop Nergal, aren't you?"  
  
"So," Athos said to the lords, "you have understood all that I have told you?"  
"Yes," Eliwood replied. "We are to go to Bern and search for the Shrine of Seals. But—we do not have much time. Nergal will regain his strength soon...how can we make it to Bern in time?"  
Athos's eyes seemed to twinkle. "I will take care of that," he said. "Pherae is the closest territory to Bern, correct?"  
"Yes," Eliwood replied.  
"Good. Now, Eliwood, I want you to close your eyes, and concentrate on a person you might meet in Pherae."  
Ninian watched as Eliwood did so.  
"You must reach the Shrine of Seals," Athos said, addressing the entire army. Then everything went black.  
  
When Ninian was able to see again, she found herself in a castle along with the rest of Eliwood's army. She turned to see Eliwood and a purple-haired woman in a tight embrace.  
"Mother..." Eliwood said, releasing her from his hug.  
"You look so tired," Eliwood's mother said.  
"Mother..." Eliwood repeated, "about Father..."  
She closed her eyes. "I heard his last moments were glorious. Even though he is gone, he will always be...my life's joy." Ninian could see she was fighting to hold back tears.  
"Come," Eliwood's mother went on, "I will prepare rooms for your companions..."  
"Mother," Eliwood said, "I'm sorry...we must hurry onwards..."  
She looked at him despairingly. Ninian knew why—after her son had been gone for so long, now he had to leave again.  
"I know that!" she said finally, nearly screaming. "B-But just for one night...Eliwood, please...I do not know when I will see you again."  
Eliwood remained silent, thinking.  
"One night's not going to hurt us," Hector said.  
"Yes, we should stay," Lyn continued.  
Eliwood turned to look at Hector, then Lyn, then—surprisingly enough—at Ninian. He stared at her for awhile before Ninian realized he wanted to know what she thought of staying at the castle.  
"I-I think we should stay," she said quickly.  
That seemed to decide the matter for Eliwood. "Very well," he said. He smiled at his mother, who smiled back at him. "We will stay."  
As the army began to disperse, Ninian wondered why Eliwood had asked her opinion, of all people...  
  


* * *

  
Um...yeah. Not sure what to say about this chapter. I will _try_ to have the next chapter up sooner, but knowing my current schedule it may still be awhile.  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	12. Falling

Well, this chapter got out faster than the previous ones, at least.  
  
Jeanie: Yep, there will be several more :) And good, another reader who dislikes lemons.  
  
Kensou Freak: _Pegasi and Wyverns_? Um, well I've read it. It's OK, but...I don't think that it's the best Fire Emblem romance there is. Besides, I think Ivanfanatic stole the idea for the ending from one of the scenes in my story, _Defiance_.  
  
The Story Master 125: Don't worry about that little slip about Adriana's father...I knew who it was _long_ before that :P  
  
Sword of Seals: Well...I still think _Defiance_ is my best work. That may be because it was the story that got me started here, but...  
  
hyliansage: Already reviewed your story. It's great.  
  
SkyFireZero: Thanks for your review!  
  
Morning Mist: I'm not sure if you mentioned it either...I've been getting several comments about that :) I don't see why it's such a big deal though...can't other authors use spellcheck?  
  
FireEdge: Thanks for your review!  
  
**

Chapter Twelve  
Falling  


**  
The army left Castle Pherae refreshed and in high spirits, courtesy of the excellent food provided by the castle's cooks. They then traveled to Bern, ready to find out anything they could about the Shrine of Seals.  
  
Ninian stared at Eliwood as he talked with the other lords. She still wasn't used to the way he was dressed.  
Wary of the threats Bern posed to Lycia with their formidable army, the lords had exchanged their fancy attire for plain brown traveler's robes to ensure that nobody would recognize them. They were now just three more faces in the crowd.  
The group was now standing outside a village in Bern. The inhabitants were milling about, preparing for what looked like a large celebration.  
Eliwood, Hector and Lyn stood next to a fence that encircled the village. They were discussing their next plan of action, and Ninian was able to hear what they were saying as she got closer.  
"What's with all the commotion?" Eliwood asked, looking at the villagers milling about.  
"I spoke with some villagers on the way here," Lyn replied. "They say that Prince Zephiel's coming-of-age ceremony is in ten days. Looks like they're very excited."  
"Carefree fools," Hector snorted. "They have no idea what's going on."  
"And it's better that they don't," Eliwood said, motioning for Hector to quiet down. "Who knows what chaos will erupt if they hear our story?"  
"Very well," Hector said. "So, how are we supposed to get to the shrine?"  
"I don't know," Eliwood replied. "All we know is that the shrine is in the northern parts of Bern. But I'm sure the exact location is kept secret. Most likely only the royal family knows where it is."  
"And we can't talk to them," Lyn added.  
"Right."  
"If I may?" Pent's voice came from behind the lords. As thanks for helping him out in the desert, he and his wife had decided to join the army. "I believe I can provide you with its general location."  
"How?" Eliwood asked.  
Pent gestured at the insignia of Etruria on his cloak. "As the Mage General of Etruria, duty demands that my wife and I attend the festivities following the prince's ceremony. However, I will be able to greet the queen privately before then."  
Hector snorted again. "You expect the queen to just _let_ you have a private audience with her?" He received a small punch and a quiet "shut up" from Lyn for his comment.  
"Why yes, actually, we do," Pent's wife Louise replied. "She and I are related. Although it is a distant relation, we know each other well. If I am with Pent, she will grant us an audience."  
"I can ask her discreetly about the Shrine of Seals," Pent added. "She probably won't say too much, but anything will help, correct? And I assure you that I will not reveal your presence."  
Eliwood considered this for a moment, before replying, "Very well. How long do you expect it will be before you return?"  
"Two days at most." Pent replied.  
"Then I pray for your success."  
  
The army could not go anywhere until Pent and Louise came back, so they decided to set up camp outside the village. Eliwood, Ninian, Hector and Lyn stood at the fence surrounding the village, watching the villagers continue their preparations for the celebration.  
Finally, Hector spoke up. "I can't stand just waiting here," he remarked. "Can't we go into town, or something?"  
"What if someone were to recognize us?" Lyn asked.  
"I don't think Bern villagers will know what Lycian nobles look like," Hector replied sarcastically. He looked at Ninian. "Or...maybe you and your brother could give us a performance?" he suggested.  
"Um, well—" she began.  
"Why don't we see if we can find out any information about the Black Fang?" Eliwood asked before she could answer. "They are based in Bern, and I am sure we could find out some information from the villagers here."  
"That sounds like a good idea," Hector said.  
"Well then, let's go," Lyn said, starting for the village. Hector followed her.  
"Try to blend in," Eliwood called to them.  
"Yes, we need to be careful," Hector said.  
"Especially you, Hector," Lyn said, before giggling and running off.  
"What?!" Hector ran after her.  
Eliwood leaned against the fence surrounding the village and sighed, shaking his head. "Those two...I can't tell if they're friends or not," he grumbled. Ninian stifled a giggle, but he noticed. "Is something funny, Ninian?" he asked.  
She smiled at him. "Just listen to you grumble, Lord Eliwood," she said. "You sound like...like you're their father!" She started giggling again.  
"Really?" Eliwood asked, looking behind himself at their retreating figures.  
"Yes," she replied, still giggling.  
"Great..." he said sarcastically.  
That just caused her to laugh harder.  
Eliwood couldn't help but smile at her, and he began to laugh a little himself.  
"I like it when you laugh," Eliwood suddenly remarked, smiling.  
Ninian stopped laughing abruptly. "What?" she asked.  
Eliwood suddenly looked shocked, apparently realizing what he had just said. "Oh—uh...nothing," he replied, his cheeks turning red.  
"No...what was it you said, Lord Eliwood?" she pressed curiously.  
"Um, I said...I like it when you laugh," he said reluctantly. "You're very pretty when you laugh, did you know that?"  
Ninian felt herself blush. She didn't know what to say.  
"Ninian?" Eliwood said.  
"Y-yes?" she replied softly.  
"Why...why do my compliments embarrass you so?" he asked slowly, carefully. "I thought a girl such as you would be more...well, proud of her appearance."  
Ninian bit her lip; she hadn't been expecting such a question. "I...I don't know," she replied finally. "I suppose...I am just unused to hearing such comments, that's all..."  
Eliwood looked at her, somewhat disbelieving. "But...you are a dancer, correct?" he asked. "Certainly, you must hear this from some people..."  
She shook her head. "No, Lord Eliwood," she replied. "I-In fact," she added, "you are the only one who has ever done so..." She looked away from him.  
Eliwood stared at her, almost incredulously. "Truly?" he asked.  
She nodded, and looked up at him.  
She suddenly realized that his face was very close to hers.  
"Ninian?" he asked softly.  
"Y-yes?" she replied.  
"Perhaps..." he began, "a-at some point...you could show me...the dance you use when you perform?" He said this very softly, barely above a whisper, as if afraid she would run away if he spoke any louder.  
"I-I suppose..." she replied, equally softly.  
His face was moving closer to hers...  
"_You!_"  
Eliwood jumped suddenly, looking for the person that had addressed him.  
"You are Eliwood, correct?" The man was standing a few feet away from them. He had spiky blue hair, and he wore a black shirt and pants. He also carried a large broadsword.  
Eliwood took one look at the man's clothing and said, "Black Fang, I see..."  
"That's right," the man sneered. "You have the honor of dying at the hands of the Four Fangs. Our commander is Linus, the Mad Dog."  
"Who _cares_ what his title is?" Hector and Lyn showed up behind the man, and the former quickly drove his axe into the man's back, killing him instantly. "Eliwood!" he shouted. "The Black Fang have occupied the entire town, and they're all after us!"  
Some of the army apparently heard, as they started getting ready for battle.  
"Then let's meet their challenge," Eliwood said, drawing his rapier. He looked at Ninian. "Ninian..." he said, "you'll come with me?"  
She nodded. The image of Eliwood about to kiss her firmly engraved itself in her mind as she began to follow him...  
  
Linus dropped to his knees, panting heavily. The three lords all stood over him, while Ninian watched from a few feet away.  
"You're...you're stronger than I thought," Linus remarked.  
"Linus," Eliwood said.  
Linus looked up at Eliwood, then suddenly, quick as a flash, he was behind him, his sword at Eliwood's neck. Ninian gasped.  
Lyn and Hector raised their weapons, but Linus simply said, "Don't even move." They quickly lowered their weapons again.  
Linus looked down at Eliwood, a triumphant smile on his lips. "Any last requests?" he asked.  
"Yes," Eliwood replied, strangely calm. "Two."  
"Very well," Linus said. "Tell me, and I _may_ grant them."  
"First," Eliwood said. He gestured at Ninian as well as he could with Linus's sword at his neck. "Please...don't hurt her."  
Ninian was surprised at this, but it was quickly drowned out by worry for Eliwood's safety.  
"Of course," Linus replied. "It is against my honor to harm an innocent woman."  
"Thank you," Eliwood said. "And second, there is something I would like to know."  
"And what would that be?" Linus asked.  
"I noticed that you and your soldiers kept all the villagers clear of the fighting," Eliwood said.  
"Yes," Linus said. "They are not involved in this, so they should not be put in danger."  
"That's right," Eliwood said. "And I can see now that the Black Fang is not at all evil. So...why are we fighting?"  
"What?" Linus looked thoroughly confused. "But—you're the evil—bah!" He abruptly let go of Eliwood.  
Eliwood rubbed his neck. "Why are you letting me go?" he asked.  
"None of this makes any _sense_!" Linus shouted. "I was told that you were the evildoers, but...bah!" He threw up his hands in annoyance. "I'm leaving now, but I _will_ be back once I have this straightened out!" He then ran out of the village.  
Ninian, meanwhile, nearly fainted with relief.  
  
Ninian lay on her bed in her tent. The image of Eliwood about to kiss her played over and over in her mind, as it had been doing for the past few minutes.  
She knew now that she _wanted_ him to kiss her, that she _wanted_ to kiss him as well. Maybe it had just been the heat of the moment, but...it seemed like it was just the right thing to do...  
She was suddenly jolted from her thoughts as Nils came into the tent.  
"Ninian?" he asked. He was looking at her with an expression of...Ninian couldn't tell what it was. Disappointment? Sadness? Or—strangely enough—fear?  
"What is it?" she asked.  
He was silent for a moment, thinking, before he replied, "Never mind." He started walking to his bed.  
"Nils, what's going on?" she pressed.  
He waved a hand, dismissing the matter. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." He lay down on his bed. "Good night, Ninian."  
"Good night, Nils."  
As the tent fell silent again, Ninian's thoughts turned back to Eliwood.  
She remembered how she had realized that Eliwood was the only one who had ever really cared for her, that he was the only one who had ever called her beautiful. And after what had happened earlier...  
...but then, there it was again. The doubt. The worry of how he would react if he found out what she was...  
She sighed.  
She knew what was happening. She was falling in love with him. She just didn't know, because of what she was, if she would ever be able to tell him that.  
  


* * *

  
Augh! I really didn't like using such a clichéd idea there...where Eliwood was about to kiss Ninian and they were broken up by something else. Oh well...it seems to fit rather nicely, though...  
What do you guys think of this one?  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	13. Different

Woohoo! Broke my record—TEN reviews for the last chapter!  
And to top it off, this chapter's early!  
  
The Story Master 125: Um...I'm not sure if I'm going to use support B and A. With the way I see Ninian...I can't really see her telling Eliwood that she's been deceiving him when she doesn't want Eliwood to know what she is. Who knows though, I may put them in, but I wouldn't bet on it.  
  
SkyFireZero: Thanks for your review!  
  
Kensou freak: Uh, no, you didn't offend me. Thanks for your opinion on _Defiance_. And as for Ninian's death...let's just say I'm going to be having a lot of fun with that. Well...perhaps "fun" isn't the right word...makes me sound evil.  
  
Morning Mist: Yeah...I remember reviewing another story that had the whole "about-to-kiss-but-broken-up-by-something" idea used repeatedly (and very badly). I told the author that the idea was very cliched, but that it could be good if done right. If your review tells me anything, I did it right ^_^  
  
:D: Seeing as Linus does actually say "bah" in the game...I don't really think that's OOC.  
  
ooh...connections: Well...I will be doing a third story. You can see what pairing it is in my response to hyliansage.  
  
Kiyoko-chan: *eats cookie* Thanks for your review!  
  
Sword of Seals: Actually...you can face either Linus or Lloyd in that level. If your lords' combined levels is 50 or higher, you face Linus. Otherwise, you face Lloyd on the foggy map. I can see why you pointed that out though, so thanks anyway.  
  
hyliansage: I really like your story, I hope you can update it soon.  
I've actually been throwing ideas around in my head on my next pairing for awhile. It's going to be *drumroll please* Jaffar/Nino! However...it will not be up for some time. I'm going to be away for most of the summer and that makes it sort of hard for me to write. But rest assured, I'll have it up by the end of the summer. Keep me on your author alerts, people! :)  
  
Firelien: Thanks for your review!  
  
**

Chapter Thirteen  
Different  
  


** _"I can't say it was a complete failure, and yet..."  
"What did you learn?"  
"The Fire Emblem has been stolen. The queen wants us to retrieve it for her. If we do that, then she will point us to the Shrine of Seals."  
  
_ With Pent's return, Eliwood now decided to go to Bern Castle and see what he could learn about the missing Fire Emblem. The Emblem was the symbol of the coming-of-age ceremony among Bern's royalty, and without it, the ceremony could not take place. Suspecting a conspiracy, Eliwood resolved to find out all that he could.  
But speaking with Ninian was a different matter. Ninian noticed that he seemed to be making a point of avoiding her as much as possible after the incident the other day. Every time he sighted her, his face turned red and he quickly began talking with one of the lords or another army member—anything that would make it so that he didn't have to talk to Ninian.  
But she couldn't blame him—she was extremely embarrassed about the whole affair herself. Adding to that was the fact that nobody in the army knew what had happened between her and Eliwood. She didn't really want to talk about it in front of other people...someone was bound to get curious and ask her about it, and she really didn't want to talk about what had happened...unless it was with Eliwood...or _maybe_ Florina. She could at least trust Florina not to talk to anyone about what had happened.  
Nils, meanwhile, kept eyeing her with that unreadable expression on his face whenever she tried to talk to Eliwood. She still wasn't sure why he was acting like he was, and every time she asked him about it, he merely said it was nothing.  
The army drew closer to Bern Castle...  
  
The enormous Bern Castle was surrounded on three sides by an impassable mountain range. Ninian and the lords stared up at its imposing figure as they approached it.  
"Here we are," Eliwood said, "Bern Castle..."  
"Look at these natural defenses!" Hector remarked. "_Nobody_ could ever take this castle in an attack!"  
"Look," Lyn said, pointing at the open castle gates. "They don't even have any sentries posted."  
"They probably don't even need them," Hector commented. "With these defenses, they probably make do with just making checks around the castle."  
"And yet..." Eliwood said softly, "from such an impregnable fortress, from the vault deep within it...the Fire Emblem was stolen."  
"I don't believe that for an instant," Hector said. "There's no way a thief could _ever_ break in here. I think something else is at work..."  
"We'll have to find out for ourselves," Eliwood said, walking towards the castle gates.  
"Eliwood!" Lyn called. "Where are you going?"  
"Inside," Eliwood replied. "And I think you should come with me. I'm sure we could find out information in here."  
Lyn and Hector considered this for a moment, before following Eliwood to the castle gates.  
Ninian watched the lords—or more specifically, Eliwood—with growing worry. What if he was found out?  
  
"I hope Lord Eliwood and the others are safe..." Ninian commented to Nils once again as the lords' absence grew longer.  
"Please, Ninian," Nils said, slightly annoyed. "That's all you've spoken of since they left." He eyed her again with that unreadable expression of his.  
"Nils," she pleaded. "Please...tell me. What is the matter? Why...why do you keep looking at me like that?"  
Nils stared at her silently for a moment. Finally, he sighed.  
"Ninian," he said. "Lord Eliwood...you...you're fond of him, aren't you?"  
"What?" Ninian could feel her cheeks turning red. Yes...she was very fond of Eliwood...but a part of her didn't want to admit it to Nils for some reason.  
"Ninian..." he repeated. "You don't have to hide anything from me. I..." He trailed off, sighing.  
"What is it?" Ninian asked.  
"I...I saw what happened the other day...with Lord Eliwood," he explained, looking at the ground.  
Ninian's breath caught in her throat. He had _seen_ them?  
"I...I know that you must really appreciate all that he has done for us. I do, too. But..." He looked up at Ninian, eyes pleading. "You...you cannot fall in love with him."  
"What?" Ninian asked, still shocked, but now slightly angry and defiant at Nils's request. "Why not?"  
He looked away, lowering his voice. "You know why, Ninian," he said, but he was not angry. He sounded more...sad.  
"We are...different...from them."  
Ninian looked at the ground like a shamed child, her cheeks now bright red. Her eyes began to well with tears as she realized that he had said what she had been doubting all along.  
He was right...there was no way she could fall in love with Eliwood. She was a dragon. A _dragon!_ Humans and dragons were meant to stay apart, as the Scouring had proved. A human and a dragon, together...who would ever endorse that?  
Certainly not Eliwood...and if he found out what she was...  
A stray tear fell from her eye as she turned away from Nils. She couldn't talk to him anymore...she needed to be alone.  
"Ninian..." Nils asked, "where are you going?"  
"I-I need some time to think," she replied, still turned away from him, trying her hardest to keep her voice collected. "M-May I-I be alone, p-please?"  
"Of...of course," Nils answered.  
She took a few steps away from him slowly, then, bursting into tears, she began to run.  
  
Ninian sat on a stray log in the fields surrounding Bern Castle, tears streaming silently down her face as she buried it in her hands.  
Nils was right, she thought sadly. She was different from Eliwood. She couldn't be in love with him. And yet...  
She couldn't help herself.  
He had done so much for her...there was no way that she could hold no respect for him in return...  
"Ninian..."  
Ninian looked up at the sound of Florina's voice, the former's eyes red and puffy from her sobbing. Part of her wanted to run away, to be alone...but another part of her desired comfort, a shoulder to cry on.  
"Ninian," Florina repeated, sitting down on the log beside her. "What's the matter?"  
She decided to go with the second option.  
"Oh...Florina..." she sobbed, burying her face in her hands again.  
"It's all right," Florina said soothingly, placing her arm around Ninian's shoulder. "Just let it all out..." She pulled Ninian toward her, and she accepted the embrace. She cried helplessly into Florina's shoulder for what seemed like hours.  
  
But eventually, she had to finish her crying. She didn't know how long she sat there, but at some point, she looked up and wiped her eyes.  
"Ninian," Florina said. "Can you tell me what happened?"  
She nodded ever so slightly. "I-It's L-Lord El-...Eliwood..."  
Florina placed her hand on Ninian's shoulder, rubbing it soothingly. "What about him?"  
Ninian's body shook as she recalled to Florina the events of the other day. When she told her how Eliwood had almost kissed her, Florina didn't move an inch, but her face was curious.  
"But, Ninian..." she asked softly, "Are you not...fond of Lord Eliwood?"  
Ninian hesitated for a moment for deciding to admit it to her—Florina apparently knew it already anyway. "Y-Yes..." she said. "But—" she shook her head, "—i-it's not that..."  
"Then what's the matter?" Florina asked softly.  
"I...I'm afraid..." Ninian began. "I-I am afraid that he..."  
"...that he doesn't like you back?" Florina finished.  
She shook her head. "N-No..." she said. "I-I am afraid that...he will find out—" she stopped suddenly. She couldn't tell even Florina what she was.  
"Find out what?" Florina asked.  
"I..." Ninian hesitated. "I-I can't tell you..."  
"Oh, Ninian..." Florina said. "It's all right...you can tell me. I promise, I won't tell anyone..."  
Ninian shook her head. "No," she said, wiping her tears away. "I-I am sorry...but I-I can't tell you..."  
"Why not?" Florina asked, undaunted. "Is...is it something embarrassing?"  
Ninian shook her head again. "Florina...I...I am sorry. I-It is something very—" she tried to think of a suitable word, "—personal."  
Florina nodded, showing her acceptance. "Ninian...if you don't want to tell me...that's all right. But, Ninian...do you think...that Eliwood loves you?"  
Ninian thought for a moment. In all of the time she spent thinking about Eliwood, she never once had considered how he felt about her currently. But the answer was obvious.  
"Y-...yes," Ninian answered.  
Florina gave Ninian a small smile. "Then...you should not worry," she said.  
But Ninian was confused. How could she _not_ worry about him finding out a secret such as this? "Why not?" she asked her.  
Florina's smile grew slightly. "If...if Lord Eliwood truly loves you," she explained, "he will not care what...this problem is. He will love you anyway."  
Ninian stared at Florina for a moment, speechless. "Do you...do you truly believe that?" Ninian asked finally.  
Florina nodded. "In fact," she went on, "I thought you might be able to help me..." Her cheeks turned pink.  
"With what?" Ninian asked curiously.  
"I..." Florina looked away, smiling with embarrassment. "I just thought...since you and Lord Eliwood get along so well...that you might be able to help me with my—" she hesitated, "—my shyness around men," she said quickly.  
"Well," Ninian said, "I...I'm not sure if I can help you very much..."  
"I...I know," Florina replied. "But I just thought...since you're so easy to talk to..."  
Ninian smiled warmly at that comment. "Well...I can try to—"  
She was suddenly cut off by a scream. A scream she instantly recognized.  
_Nils.  
_ Panic gripping her heart, she shouted "Nils!" before running back to where the rest of the army stood. Florina quickly followed.  
  
When she got there, she saw Nils being held captive by a tall blond woman, with a scar down her left cheek.  
"_Vaida!_" another member of the army called. Ninian turned and saw Heath, the wyvern rider, confronting the woman.  
The woman apparently named Vaida glared at Heath. "So," she said, "you've decided to join with this little group, huh?"  
Heath ignored her question. "What the _hell_ are you doing with that boy?!" he nearly screamed.  
"Don't you remember your original objective, idiot?!" Vaida retorted. "_You_ were supposed to capture this boy!"  
Ninian saw shock register on Nils's face. "You joined this group...to capture—" he stammered, but was cut off.  
"No!" Heath shouted. "I _left_ the Bern army because of what they were doing to children like you!" He looked up at Vaida. "Vaida, let him go!"  
"Where are the leaders of this group?" Vaida asked, ignoring his demand.  
Ninian almost panicked. Where _were _Eliwood and the other lords? But she was quickly relieved when she saw them running back from the castle.  
"What are you doing with Nils?" Eliwood demanded.  
"Well," Vaida responded, "you want to protect this boy?"  
"Let him go, or I'll rip your throat out!" Hector shouted.  
Vaida smirked devilishly, then to Ninian's surprise, she released Nils. "I've been looking for someone to test my strength against," she said.  
"You plan to take on all of us?" Eliwood asked.  
"Of course not," Vaida responded. "Come on out, everyone!"  
Several wyvern riders flew in from the castle, as cavaliers and mages came from the villages near it.  
"_If_ you survive, I'll consider letting you keep the boy," Vaida said, before mounting her wyvern and flying off.  
As the army prepared for battle, Eliwood didn't even have to ask for Ninian to come with him. He merely looked at her meaningfully, and she nodded.  
  
The battle was shorter than expected. Many of the wyvern riders and cavalry turned out to be rather inexperienced. Hector had been right in assuming that nobody was able to take the castle in an attack—nobody would ever try such a suicide attempt. As a result, however, many of the soldiers were inexperienced, having never been in a real fight before. Before long, only a few soldiers and Vaida herself remained. She retreated, but Lyn, with her superior tracking skills, was able to follow the footprints of Vaida's soldiers. If the army followed them, they would end up at the Black Fang fortress...  
  
Ninian lay on her bed in her tent, the army having stopped traveling for the day. Nils slept on his bed soundly.  
She recalled Florina's words, and realized that she had been right. If Eliwood truly loved her—and it was very probable that he did—then what did she have to worry about? He would accept her for who she was...right?  
The only problem lay in what others would think. Nils had been right, too—a dragon and a human together was simply unheard of. And then there was a more pressing question: after Nergal was defeated, what would happen to her? Would she have to go back through the Gate?  
She had lived in the dragons' realm for so long...and yet, after her short stay in this world, she already found herself wanting to stay forever. As long as she was with Eliwood...  
Eliwood. Ninian recalled suddenly how he had asked her to show him the dance she used when performing.  
Perhaps...if she were to dance for him, then they would be alone, together. And then...she could tell him how she felt about him...  
Ninian fell asleep smiling.  
  


* * *

  
On second thought, The Story Master 125, scratch my response about supports B and A. I just got a great idea for those...  
Whew! That was a really long chapter. Enjoy it while it lasts—while this chapter was up early, don't expect any updates until at least next week. I'll be busy preparing this week for the AP US history exam on Friday...oh God, I'm so screwed. If I survive, then I'll have the next chapter up afterwards.  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	14. Remembrances

Woohoo! My AP exam is over. As for how well I did...well, that's a different story. Figures that the big essay on the exam ends up being on something we never covered in class :/  
  
On the bright side, I broke my record again! TWELVE reviews for the last chapter! Okay, so two of them are from the same person, but...who cares?  
  
SkyFireZero: Thanks for your review!  
  
Sword of Seals: I don't use my lords _that_ much...but I do try to have at least one at level 20 by the end of that chapter so I can promote them in the next one. It's actually easier than you might think...unless you play hard mode. Stupid EXP reduction .  
  
:D: If you didn't see, my next pairing is going to be Jaffar/Nino. It won't be started until after the summer though, as I'm going to be away a lot.  
  
The Story Master 125: Fall victim I did...Eliwood/Ninian support B is in this chapter. And I think I can guess when that quote is going to occur in your fic ;)  
  
Kensou freak: -grins evilly- Oh, I will have "fun"...er... -stops grinning, looks around- yeah.  
  
Death Scythe X-9: Thanks for your review!  
  
FireEdge (x2): No, Eliwood didn't ask Linus to spare Ninian. I thought that was one of my better ideas :)  
As for my English marks, well...while I can write these stories well, I can't do essays to save my life . I actually showed _Defiance_ to my teacher and she loved it, but I don't think she gave me any extra credit for it :/  
  
Morning Mist: Thanks for your review!  
  
hyliansage: Does the APEuro exam have a document based essay as well? Damn, I hate those things...  
  
Jeanie: Actually, I never thought about giving Florina a pairing... -thinks- Well, I'm a Hector/Lyn fan...so who else could she go with?  
  
AmbieChan: I agree...the romance between the two in the game seems to happen way too suddenly. I just got their support A in my hard mode game and all I was thinking after I read it was "that sucked." Then again, why else am I writing this story? ;)  
  


**Chapter Fourteen  
Remembrances  
**

But what Ninian wasn't sure of was how to ask Eliwood about his request. He still seemed to be avoiding her, and while Ninian could understand why, she wished that he would stop. After all, if she was able to talk to him alone like she planned, then he probably wouldn't be so embarrassed anymore...  
Ninian smiled at that thought.  
  
The army continued to follow the tracks of the Bern soldiers, with no end in sight even as they started climbing one of Bern's snowy peaks. For once, Ninian was glad she was part ice dragon—the rest of the army was heavily wrapped in cloaks and were still cold, while she and Nils were fine with some protection.  
The group stopped halfway up the mountain as night fell, intending on scaling the peak the following day. It was then that Eliwood finally decided to stop avoiding Ninian. To her surprise, he decided to speak first.  
He came to her as she and Nils were setting up their tent for the night. He was also carrying an extra rapier, although Ninian was not sure why.  
"Ninian," he said as he approached. She could see that he was still a little nervous about talking to her, although his face was somewhat hidden by the cloak he was wearing to keep out the cold.  
"Yes, Lord Eliwood?" she replied.  
He took one of the rapiers he carried and held it out in front of him. "I...I think you should have this."  
Ninian's eyes widened. "Surely...you do not intend to make me fight alongside you?" she asked, almost incredulously.  
Eliwood shook his head, smiling slightly. "Of course not, Ninian."  
Ninian breathed a sigh of relief. "Then...why are you giving me this?"  
"I have no intention of making you fight," Eliwood explained, "and you don't have to. This is just so you can defend yourself...just in case..." he left the rest unsaid.  
"Oh..." She took the rapier, holding it awkwardly as she had never been instructed in the sword. Smiling slightly, she looked back at Nils...  
...and found him with that expression on his face again. Her smile faded, but she turned back to Eliwood.  
"Thank you, Lord Eliwood," she said.  
Eliwood nodded in reply, then his expression became somewhat grave. "You do not have to use this sword if you do not want to," he said. "But our enemies are becoming stronger, and..." once again, he left the rest unsaid, as if afraid he would curse himself by suggesting he might be unable to protect her.  
"I see," Ninian said. "But," she gave him a small smile, "I do not think I will have to use it if you are by my side."  
As expected, Eliwood's face reddened slightly. "Yes, well," he gave an embarrassed cough, "...as I said, this is just in case."  
She nodded. "Well, thank you, Lord Eliwood."  
"You are welcome, Ninian." He turned and began walking to his tent.  
She bit her lip, feeling nervous about what she wanted to do next. She waited for a few moments, then called out, "Lord Eliwood?"  
He turned around. "Yes?"  
She walked over to him, not only so she would not have to talk to him at a distance, but also to make sure that Nils did not hear what she was saying. She knew that her brother had his reasons for discouraging her love for Eliwood, but after her conversation with Florina, she had become confident that Eliwood would accept what she was. Of course, she wasn't intending on _telling_ him about her true nature, but if he ever found out...well, she would be able to deal with it if it ever happened.  
"What is it?" Eliwood asked as she approached him.  
"Um," she began. She wasn't exactly sure how to ask him what she wanted, after all, he had made the request in the first place.  
"Is something the matter?" Eliwood asked.  
"No, everything is fine," she replied, shaking her head. "I just remembered," she shakily tried again, "you asked me, before...to show you the dance I use when I perform."  
"Did I?" Eliwood asked himself. He stared into space, trying to remember, then his face suddenly turned rather red when he remembered the circumstances under which he had asked that question. "Uh...I suppose I did," he said, trying hard not to stammer. "What of it?"  
"Well..." she said nervously, "would you like to see it?" As she said this, a wind blew through the camp, causing Eliwood to pull his cloak tighter about himself.  
"I would love to," Eliwood replied, smiling, "but...I do not think this is the best time. Perhaps some other time...when it is warmer?" he added, chuckling a little.  
Ninian nodded in acceptance. "Of course, Lord Eliwood," she replied, smiling as well.  
"Very well. I will be looking forward to it." He turned to go to his tent, then stopped abruptly and turned back to her. "Ninian...are you not cold?" he asked, eyeing her lack of protection compared to him.  
She shook her head. "I am fine, Lord Eliwood, but thank you for your concern."  
"Are you sure?" Eliwood went on. "This is not a good time to become ill."  
"Do not worry," she reassured him. "It is all right."  
Eliwood still seemed worried about her, but he nodded. "If you say so." He began to leave for his tent. "I will be looking forward to seeing your dance," he said, smiling at her.  
Ninian smiled back at him.  
She fingered the rapier he had given her absently. She would be able to talk to him alone...all she had to do now was wait.  
  
The army reached the top of the mountain around noon the next day, and found the Black Fang stronghold at the top. The three lords, apparently feeling confident after their infiltration of Bern Castle, felt it would be best if they could find any information themselves without fighting. Eliwood had asked Ninian, much to her surprise, to come with him, but the tactician had discouraged it, saying, "The fewer people infiltrating the fortress, the better."  
So Ninian stayed with the rest of the army, hoping that Eliwood would be all right.  
  
"Ninian."  
"Yes?" She turned around, hearing Nils's voice. He had his arms crossed, and his face once again held the expression that appeared whenever he spoke about Eliwood.  
He led her some ways away from the rest of the army, before asking, "Ninian...you are falling in love with Lord Eliwood...aren't you?"  
But this time, Ninian was not ashamed as she had been before. "Nils...I have been in love with him for some time," she told him, no longer afraid to admit it.  
"I see..." Nils said, looking away from her.  
"Nils," she went on, "why can you not just be happy for me? I know...we are different from him and the others, but...there is nothing wrong with that!" she claimed, remembering her conversation with Florina.  
Nils looked up at her, but instead of being angry as Ninian had expected him to be, his face held a look of sadness. "Ninian..." he said. "I...I know. I know you love Lord Eliwood. I know he can make you happy. I _want_ him to make you happy."   
Ninian was rather surprised at that comment.  
"And I know you feel that what we are has nothing to do with this," Nils went on. "But...have you never considered what might happen...if Lord Eliwood were to find out what you were?"  
"I have," Ninian replied. "I talked about it with Florina—"  
Nils cut her off by gasping. "You _told_ her that—"  
"No, of course not," she responded quickly. "But she told me something very important."  
"What is it?"  
"She told me that no matter what problem I may have...if Lord Eliwood loves me, then he will not care what it is," she explained. "And I see now that she is right."  
Nils looked at her somewhat angrily. "And how do you know this is the truth? Ninian, this is no joking matter. Even if Lord Eliwood were to accept this...none of the others would. We don't even belong in this world—"  
"Then where _do_ we belong?!" Ninian shrieked, then quickly quieted down as she realized the rest of the army was still close by. "Nils," she whispered, "we do not belong in the dragons' realm; they hate us."  
"And the people of this world would hate us as well if they knew what we were," Nils whispered back angrily.  
"Then..." she paused. "Then why should we let them know?!"  
"What?" Apparently Nils had not considered this.  
"Don't you remember?" Ninian asked. "Even if we wanted to," she dropped her voice as low as possible, "_we can't turn back into dragons._ Without our dragonstone, we will be humans until the day we die."  
Nils was visibly stunned. Such a possibility had never made itself clear to him.  
"Don't you see?" Ninian went on. "We cannot live in the dragons' realm. But...we can live _here_, as humans."  
Nils brought a hand to his forehead, still shaken by Ninian's revelation. Then, suddenly, he shook his head sadly. "No, Ninian...we can't."  
"What?" Ninian asked. "Why not?"  
"Don't you remember what Nergal said? We—"  
"Ninian!" Eliwood's voice suddenly emanated from the rest of the army.  
She looked up at Eliwood as he walked over to her. "We need to go," he said.  
"Why?" she asked.  
There was suddenly a flash, and a man appeared in front of the army. He wore red robes that seemed more appropriate for a monk or bishop rather than a Black Fang member. He had short brown hair, and he also carried a silver staff.  
Eliwood turned to the man. "You..." he said. "You're a holy man. What are you doing with these rogues?"  
The man stared at Eliwood for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing as if what Eliwood had said was the funniest thing in the world.  
"Holy?" he said after he had stopped laughing. "I suppose you are referring to my relationship with the 'gods?' Tell me, boy, have you met Lord Nergal?"  
"Yes," Eliwood stated simply.  
"Then there is something you must know," the man said as an insane grin began to spread over his face. "Gods are lies created by the weakness of mankind. If there is truly a 'god' in this world, it is my Lord Nergal. Only him."  
"You _fool!_" Hector suddenly shouted, appearing behind the man and swiping at him with his axe. It only hit thin air, however, as the "bishop" suddenly disappeared and instantly reappeared a few feet away.  
"Since you seem so _eager_," the bishop said, the insane grin still on his face, "why don't we have a little fun? Let's see how you can handle the soldiers in this fortress..."  
All of a sudden, the grin disappeared, replaced by an almost dreamy look as the bishop stared at the army. "Nothing is more beautiful than the suffering of men," he stated. "I will watch you for a long—" his eyes started scanning the group, "—long, time." His eyes finally settled on Ninian as the insane grin returned. "Especially _you_, girl."  
"What?" Ninian gasped.  
"What?" Eliwood parroted. "What do you mean by—"  
But he wasn't able to finish his question, as with a flash, the bishop was gone.  
"We don't have time for this!" Hector shouted. "We need to get to Bern Castle as fast as possible! Come on!"  
"We can't!" a mage Ninian didn't know shouted from the back of the army. "There's a magical barrier here—we can't leave!"  
Hector groaned. "FINE! Then let's just get this over with and get over to Bern Castle!"  
Eliwood looked at Ninian meaningfully again, and she began to follow him, wondering what the bishop had meant. Her hand gripped the hilt of her rapier, and she hoped that she wouldn't have to use it...  
  
As it turned out, Ninian did not once have to draw the rapier from its sheath.  
The three lords and Ninian approached the bishop, who sat upon a small throne in the back of the fortress.  
"So," the bishop stated, "It looks like you have made it." His eyes once again settled on Ninian, and the dreamy look returned. "And you brought the girl, too..."  
Without warning, Eliwood pointed his rapier at the bishop's throat. "Tell me what you meant by that," he demanded.  
The bishop stared at Eliwood in mock surprise. "What, you mean you don't know?" he asked.  
Eliwood's face hardened. "She has done nothing," he retorted. "She has caused no—'suffering of men' as you called it." He spat the last words out in disgust.  
The bishop's insane grin returned. "Oh, but she has," he responded. When both Eliwood and Ninian moved to protest, he went on, "She is the cause of all of the deaths that have occurred. If she had not escaped from Lord Nergal, then there would have been no deaths whatsoever." His dreamy look appeared once again. "Not that that's a bad thing..."  
"Take that back," Eliwood demanded.  
The bishop's grin and dreamy look vanished as he stood up. "I have a better suggestion," he said. His staff began to glow golden. "Why don't _you_ let me take _her_ back to Lord Nergal?" He raised his staff.  
A light suddenly appeared at his feet, then it spiraled around him, up into the air. Ninian watched it as it went up, up, up...and then, without warning, it sped back down, directly at Eliwood. The light suddenly intensified sharply as it neared Eliwood, so much that Ninian had to look away.  
When she looked back, Eliwood was no longer there. She gasped, but then she heard Eliwood's voice from beside her—he had simply dodged the spell. "I will not let you take Ninian," he vowed.  
The bishop's staff glowed golden again as he readied another Aura spell. "We'll see about that," he replied. He raised his staff—  
—and then, without warning, he froze. There was the sound of metal cutting flesh, and the bishop fell over dead. Lyn was behind him, holding a bloodied sword.  
"Never turn your back on an enemy," she remarked, smiling triumphantly.  
  
The bishop's words rang through Ninian's head as the army raced to get to Bern Castle before the prince was to be assassinated. They were now resting after another day of traveling.  
It had been three days since the army had left the Black Fang fortress, but Ninian still could not stop thinking about what the bishop had said. She sat outside her tent, brooding.  
_She is the cause of all of the deaths that have occurred...  
_ There was no way that was true, Ninian thought.  
...Right?  
"Ninian?" Eliwood's voice broke her train of thought.  
She looked up at him. "Yes?"  
"Well..." Ninian noticed that he seemed very nervous. "Would now be...a good time to show me the dance you use when you perform?"  
His request. Ninian had almost completely forgotten about it...but it came rushing back as she remembered what she had planned to do. "Of course," she replied.  
She wanted to make sure that the two of them were alone, and she was going to ask to move away from the army, when instead Eliwood decided to lead her away from the camp himself. She took a deep breath...she didn't know when or if she was going to get another chance to tell him what she wanted...  
There was a small clump of trees a short distance from the camp. Eliwood led her to it and sat down on a trunk of a tree that had fallen. He smiled at Ninian expectantly.  
She smiled back at him, then, taking another deep breath, she closed her eyes and began to dance.  
  
Her dance lasted a few minutes. When she finished, she gave Eliwood a small curtsy. He laughed and clapped for her.  
Even though he was the only one there, Ninian felt as though his applause meant more than the entire army's combined. She smiled at him proudly.  
He smiled back at her serenely. "That was..." he paused for a moment as if searching for the right words, "—truly beautiful."  
Her smile almost reached her ears. "Thank you," she said softly.  
He sighed contentedly. "In Pherae, every year, we hold a grand harvest festival," he said. "Everyone in the land comes to eat, drink, and dance. Perhaps...you should come the next time. I am sure everyone would love to see your dancing."  
"That sounds like fun," she replied.  
"It is," Eliwood said. "My mother, you know," he went on, "she loves dancing. Every year, at the festival, she always dances all night." He sighed. "My father always thought it silly, but he would always be there with her...dancing until the dawn." He looked at the ground, not wanting to think about his father's death.  
Ninian couldn't think of anything to say to him. Elbert...he had been such a kind man. Truly, he had not deserved to die. And yet—  
Suddenly, Ninian realized what the bishop had meant by his words.  
"I'm sorry," Eliwood said, looking up at Ninian. "You must...think about my father often enough."  
But Ninian didn't hear him. She was thinking about what the bishop had said...and she realized despairingly that what he had said was true.  
She _was_ the cause of this entire conflict.  
The entire conflict had started because Nergal had called her and Nils through the Dragon's Gate...and she had been foolish enough to listen.  
And because of that foolishness, so many people had died. Including...  
Elbert...  
"Ninian?" Eliwood asked.  
Without thinking, she started to cry. "I...I'm sorry..." she said.  
"Ninian," Eliwood said, getting up. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Remember what I told you?" he asked. "My father's death was not your fault. You should not blame yourself, not at all."  
But Ninian knew now that that was not true. Although he was correct in saying she had not killed him directly...she still was the reason he had ended up dead.  
"L-Lord Eliwood..." she sobbed. "No...y-you're wrong..."  
"What?" Eliwood asked.  
She had thought that Eliwood might be able to accept her for what she was. But now, in addition to being a half-dragon, she was the reason for the death of Elbert...and so many other people.  
And, as kind as he was, there was no way Eliwood would _ever_ accept someone like that.  
"Ninian?" Eliwood asked. "What's the matter?"  
"I...I-I have been deceiving y-you..." she sobbed, before she realized what she was admitting.  
"What? What do you mean?"  
"I-It is just..." she was about to say more, but she suddenly realized what she was saying—she couldn't tell Eliwood about her past, no matter what. "I-I'm so s-sorry..." she sobbed. She flung her arms around Eliwood and began to cry into his shoulder.  
"Ninian..." Eliwood said sadly, as if her sadness was pervading throughout his own body. "Please...don't cry."  
But how could she not? she thought. She loved Eliwood so much, and he had been so kind to her...but if he found out...there was no way he would ever love her in return.  
"Ninian, don't cry," Eliwood repeated, placing his own arms around her. "I do not know what has happened, but I do know that I never want to see you so sad..."

* * *

Whew! That was a _long_ chapter. So sad, too...and it's not going to go that much uphill from here :/  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	15. Revelations

:/ We're getting into the sadder parts of the story now...  
but...I GOT 100 REVIEWS! GO ME! Thanks to everyone who reviewed for helping me get this many! I feel so proud...  
  
hyliansage: APUS was _evil_. Our DBQ was on the French and Indian War, which we never covered in class .  
And as for showing _Defiance_ to my teacher, well...listen to my advice and never show your stories to your teacher. Yes, she liked my story, but having to talk about it with her is _really_ embarrassing.  
  
Lord Slasher: Thanks for your review! But was the description of your muses really necessary?  
  
The Story Master 125: Support A? Well...why don't you read and find out? ;)  
  
FireEdge: Nothing wrong with reviewing twice, after all, it DOES make my review count go up :P. As for support A, read and see.  
  
Kensou freak: The death scene is close at hand now...but I don't know whether that's good or bad. It's so sad...  
  
Jeanie: The lines I used were mostly from _Defiance_, but I added the lines where Kenneth accused Ninian of causing the "suffering of men." But...I have another _Defiance_ connection in this chapter...and it's something that wasn't in the original story...  
On a side note, congratulations on being my hundredth reviewer!  
  
AmbieChan: You think Nintendo should hire me? O.o Wow...I'm flattered. Thanks!  
  
rawn: Well...I'm trying to keep Ninian as in-character as I can, and I don't think she could "lighten up" as you suggest. And keep in mind she doesn't _know_ Eliwood is going to kill Nergal...  
  
Morning Mist: That's two people who want Nintendo to hire me...I didn't think I was really that good...thanks!  
  
darkstarredshadowwolf: Well, while I do dislike lemons, I don't have anything against shonen-ai. It's the same with straight pairings, really: if the pairing makes sense, or it is written and explained well enough if it doesn't, then it's fine by me. Sadly though, many (mostly female) authors seem to love throwing two guys together at random. There's nothing wrong with shonen-ai, it's just that many shonen-ai pairings are not explained well enough in their stories.  
  


**Chapter Fifteen  
Revelations**

_I never want to see you so sad...  
_ How she wanted to fulfill Eliwood's wish. And yet...  
The hours and days following that incident were quite possibly the worst Ninian had ever experienced in her life. Despite the fact that Eliwood now knew she had been deceiving him...he had stayed there with her, tried to calm her, to soothe her. Even as she continued to cry, he had just held her close...  
And, despite his efforts, that had just made her feel worse. His sympathy, his caring, his—_no, don't think about love_—for her...all of it had just caused her respect for him to grow. And even though she knew that he could never love a girl who had caused so much death...she loved him anyway.  
She wished that she had never gone through the Gate. Not only did she cause so many deaths...but more importantly, if she had never came to this world...then she would never have met Eliwood, never have fallen in love with him...never have felt this much despair.  
  
Eliwood made several attempts over the following days to talk to Ninian, but she didn't want to see him. Every time she looked at him, she remembered her love for him...and then she remembered the bishop's words.  
As the army approached Bern Castle and night began to fall, Eliwood, seeing her emotional distress, had asked Ninian to stay in camp as the rest of the group fought to prevent the prince's assassination. She had answered him with a simple nod...she could feel a sob forming in her throat whenever she looked at him, and she knew that if she spoke a single word she would start crying...  
  
Ninian sat outside of her tent in camp, looking at the ground.  
She sniffed. She knew this was best for her. In her emotional state, of course, it was best for her to stay out of battle. But that wasn't why she had agreed to stay behind.  
She knew it would be hard. She didn't want to do it. But she had to...  
She had to forget about Eliwood.  
She loved him so much...but that love would bring her nothing but pain. So she had to forget about him...  
A noise suddenly broke her thoughts. She listened...it sounded like a whimper, like a girl crying...  
She looked towards the source of the noise, the front of the camp. After a few moments, a horse walked into view. She was rather surprised to see two people riding it...but as the horse got closer it became apparent that that was because one of the riders was unconscious, laying on the horse's back.  
As the horse passed, she could see the two riders clearly. The one who was still conscious was an auburn-haired girl Ninian didn't recognize. She had deep green eyes, but they were marred by tears that were still streaming down her face, and they weren't focused on where the horse was going. Instead, they were focused on the unconscious rider—Ninian recognized him as Heath.  
The girl let out a whimper again. She bent her head over Heath's body, as if her tears could wake him up.  
"Please..." the girl sobbed. "Please don't die...you can't die..." She stared sadly at Heath's body for a few moments before continuing, "I never got to tell you..."  
The girl bent down and placed a soft kiss on Heath's lips.  
"Please don't die..." she repeated as the horse neared her tent. "I love you..."  
As the girl strained to get Heath off the horse and into her tent, Ninian could see that the girl's fears were obviously unfounded—although Heath was unconscious, there were no injuries that Ninian could see, and his breathing was deep and normal. If the girl hadn't been so distressed, Ninian could easily have assumed that Heath was asleep.  
Even as she thought that, however, and as much as she didn't want to...she felt a sudden surge of jealousy.  
That girl was so _lucky_, and she didn't even know it, Ninian thought despairingly. She was in love with a man who actually _could_ love her, not like herself and Eliwood...  
She felt tears forming in her eyes.  
It wasn't right...it wasn't _fair_...  
Then she realized she was thinking about Eliwood.  
More tears welled in her eyes, threatening to fall.  
She wished she could forget about him...but she knew that she would never be able to.  
She buried her face in her hands.  
  
She stayed that way even as she heard the army returning. She heard a few muffled voices, footsteps...and then she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.  
She was about to look up to see who it was when the person spoke.  
"Ninian..."  
It was Eliwood.  
She kept her head down. No...she couldn't look at him...she would just start crying harder...  
"Ninian..." Eliwood repeated. "Please, answer me..."  
Ninian hesitated. She didn't want to see him...but part of her also didn't want to leave Eliwood as he was, without any answers at all...  
She looked up. Although her tears blurred her vision, she could still make out Eliwood's face clearly. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, trying to hold her tears back.  
Eliwood stooped so that his face was level with hers, pushing stray strands of her hair out of her face. "Ninian..." he repeated again. "Please, tell me what is bothering you..."  
Eliwood had asked her to do so many times over the past few days...but she knew she couldn't tell him. She shook her head sadly. "I-I am sorry...I cannot..."  
Eliwood nodded somberly, and Ninian felt his hand squeeze her shoulder comfortingly. "Well...Ninian..." he said, sounding like he could almost cry himself, "I do not know what is bothering you, but...I sincerely hope...that you will feel better soon..."  
She nodded, her tears threatening to burst forth at any second. "Th-thank y-you," she replied, her voice breaking.  
Eliwood kept his hand on her shoulder a moment longer before standing up and slowly, sadly walking away. She stared at his retreating figure until he disappeared into his tent. Then she buried her face in her hands once again.  
  
She didn't stay that way for long, however. It had only been a few minutes before she heard another voice above her.  
"Ninian." Florina.  
Ninian had seen Florina giving her sympathetic looks over the past few days, but she had never approached her directly.  
Ninian looked up.  
"Ninian..." she asked, "what's the matter?"  
She remained silent, trying to think of a way to respond. She couldn't tell Florina about this either...  
"Ninian," Florina repeated after she received no response. "I've seen what has happened with you and Lord Eliwood...that you couldn't tell him what was bothering you."  
Ninian thought Florina was going to continue, but when she did not, Ninian asked, "W-what of it?"  
"Well..." She hesitated for a moment. "I was hoping that maybe if you can't tell him, you could tell me..."  
Ninian knew that she could not. She shook her head.  
"Ninian, please," Florina said with the tiniest bit of exasperation in her voice. "Telling someone will make you feel better...please, I can't stand to see you like this..."  
Ninian shook her head again. "I-I apologize, Florina...I...I-I cannot tell...anyone..."  
Florina placed her hand on Ninian's shoulder. "Yes you can, Ninian...I won't tell anyone..."  
"No..." Ninian shook her head again, more vigorously this time. "Florina, I—"  
Florina suddenly cut her off. "Ninian," she said, more forcefully. "Please. You have to tell _someone_." Her voice, normally light and airy, was now filled with a determination Ninian had never heard before. "I can't stand to see you like this...and I'm not leaving your side until I find out what's wrong. If you want to tell me privately, that's okay, but..." The determination in her voice suddenly vanished, and she suddenly looked rather unsure of herself. "Ninian, _please_..."  
Ninian didn't want to tell her, but she could tell that Florina wasn't going to leave anytime soon.  
"Will you at least _talk_ to me?" Florina pleaded. She grabbed Ninian's arm, pulling her up. "We can talk about something else, if you like...it will get your mind off of whatever is troubling you..." She started to walk out of the camp, taking Ninian with her. "Come on..."  
Ninian didn't resist, in fact, she welcomed the thought of talking with Florina. Anything to get her mind off of Eliwood...  
  
The two of them didn't walk far from the camp, as it was pitch black. They simply stood in the field outside the camp until Florina sat down on the grass. She motioned for Ninian to sit with her, and she did so.  
"So..." Florina said, "is there anything you want to talk about?"  
Ninian couldn't think of anything. "Not really..." she replied. "What about you?"  
"Well..." She looked up at the night sky in thought. "Come to think of it, you never told me...where in Ilia where you born? I was born in Edessa."  
Ninian wasn't sure how to reply. She hadn't lived near any city...  
"I...I am not sure," she replied.  
Florina was confused. "Not sure? How can you not be sure of where you were born?"  
"I...did not live there long," she replied, thankful that she was able to think of an excuse so quickly. "But I do know...it was near the tallest mountain in Ilia." That was one detail she could not forget about her old home.  
"Oh," Florina replied, "you mean the mountain of the Ice Dragon, right?"  
The name of the mountain hit Ninian like a brick wall. "I-...Ice Dragon?" she said, feeling a little dazed. She hoped Florina wouldn't notice.  
She didn't, but she was somewhat confused. "Don't you know the story?" she asked.  
Ninian shook her head.  
"Oh," Florina replied. "Well, the stories say that a long time ago, there was an ice dragon that lived on the peak of that mountain."  
Ninian tried her hardest to contain her surprise. An ice dragon that lived there a long time ago...could she be talking about her _mother_?  
"The dragon was very kind," Florina went on, "and it helped the people of Ilia who had trouble living in the snow year-round. But a war broke out between dragons and humans all over the world, and since the kind ice dragon did not want to harm the humans, it left to a faraway place."  
_The Scouring_, Ninian thought. She couldn't remember clearly that far back, but she remembered that she had been unable to understand why she was leaving her home. Maybe Florina _was_ talking about her mother...  
Florina chuckled to herself, reminiscing. "My sister first told me that story when I was a child to help me go to sleep," she explained wistfully. "I remember, when I was little, I wanted to meet the ice dragon so badly that I waited all night at the foot of the mountain. But it never came...then I caught a cold and my sister was so upset with me..." She laughed at the memory.  
Ninian didn't understand. "But, Florina...weren't you afraid at all?" she asked.  
Florina apparently didn't get what she was referring to. "Afraid of what?"  
"The dragon," Ninian replied.  
Florina shrugged. "Why should I be afraid of it?"  
"Don't people think that dragons are terrifying beasts?" Ninian asked, remembering how Eliwood was fighting to keep dragons out of this world. "I mean, you know about the Scouring..." she went on. "How could the two species ever get along?"  
She looked at the ground sadly, thinking of Eliwood. _Yes, how could they_...  
"Why should being a different species matter?" Florina asked softly. "Look at me...my pegasus and I are different species, and we're the best of friends."  
"Well, that's true..." Ninian responded.  
"Pegasi are usually very shy around humans," Florina explained. "But I was kind of that way, too. At first, my pegasus and I were so afraid of each other, and it didn't go too well...but we began to play together, to understand each other...and that's how we became friends." She smiled at Ninian. "Even if two beings are shaped a little differently, that doesn't mean they can't get along..."  
"I see..." She smiled, feeling newfound hope about Eliwood. "Yes, you must be right!" she said a little too enthusiastically. "I mean...we get along, don't we?"  
Almost instantly, she recognized her slip. Despite what Florina had told her, she still hadn't really been planning to tell anyone about her identity...  
She resisted the urge to cover her mouth with her hands and prayed that Florina wouldn't be able to recognize what she was.  
But it was too easy, Ninian thought...the evidence was right in front of her. She had the power to open the Dragon's Gate, she was born near the mountain of the Ice Dragon, and after what she had just said...  
"Well, yes..." Florina replied, looking at the ground in confusion. "But...you're not—" She stopped suddenly and looked up at Ninian, her eyes as wide as saucers. She pointed a finger at Ninian, her breath coming in short gasps.  
"Ninian...y-...you're a...?" Florina stammered.  
_No_...this wasn't right at all. Florina had just said that two species could get along, yet here she was, pointing at Ninian as if she expected her to turn into an ice dragon and freeze her on the spot.  
Ninian realized sadly that what she had thought before had been right. Nobody could accept what she was, not even Florina...and if this was any indication, certainly not Eliwood...  
Ninian stood up, her eyes welling with tears. "You can tell _no one_ about this!" she commanded softly, her voice breaking.  
Florina nodded ever so slightly, but she continued to stare at Ninian in openmouthed shock. It was hard to make out her face with only the light from the camp, but Ninian could tell it was filled with fear.  
She burst out crying and ran back to camp and into her tent, leaving behind an unmoving Florina. She threw herself on her bed and began sobbing uncontrollably.  
Florina...her best friend, the person she trusted the most...was now terrified of her because she knew she was a half-dragon.  
It wasn't _fair_...  
  
She lay on her bed for only a few moments, however, before she heard someone come into the tent. She didn't want to look up, so she wondered who it was...  
The person placed a hand on Ninian's shoulder and spoke.  
"Ninian..." It was Eliwood.  
But after what had just happened, Ninian _definitely_ didn't want to speak with Eliwood now...  
She buried her head deeper into her pillow, trying to block out Eliwood's voice.  
Eliwood, however, placed his hand under her shoulder and lifted her up until she was looking at him. She stared at him despairingly for a moment, then threw her arms around him, sobbing into his chest.  
"L-Lord E-Eliwood..."  
Eliwood placed his head against hers and put his arms around her, rubbing her back soothingly.  
"Ninian..." he said after a few moments. "I can't take it any longer...I need to know what is bothering you..."  
Ninian looked up, releasing Eliwood from her embrace. She shook her head. "I-I have b-been deceiving y-you..." she replied.  
Eliwood nodded somberly. "Yes, you told me before. Ninian...you have been keeping a secret from us?"  
She nodded. "Y-yes..."  
"But you can't tell me what it is?"  
"...Y-yes."  
His next question was unexpected. "Why not?"  
_Because there's no way you could love me if you knew...  
_ It took her several seconds to get herself under control. "I...I-I cannot..." she replied. "I-If y-you knew..."  
Eliwood placed his hand on her shoulder. "Ninian..." he said softly. "Are you afraid that I...that all of us will look down upon you because of this...secret?"  
She wasn't afraid...she _knew_. But she nodded anyway.  
Eliwood nodded in acceptance, looking at the ground. "Very well," he said.  
"W-what?" Ninian asked. She had expected him to at least ask her about her secret...  
Eliwood looked up at her. "Ninian...I can see that this is something very hard for you to talk about. But if...if you ever feel able, please tell me."  
She shook her head, the tears falling harder now. "B-but I cannot..." she sobbed. "I-if you knew..."  
Eliwood squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. "Ninian," he said. "I don't care what your secret is."  
"No..." He would care...she knew he would care. "Y-you would i-if..."  
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Florina poke her head in the tent, with an urgent look on her face. When she saw Eliwood there with her, however, she gasped silently and quickly left.  
Eliwood shook his head. "No, Ninian," he replied. "Your secret is unimportant to me. All I know is that it is causing you pain...and I can't stand to see that happen." When he received no response, he went on, sounding suddenly unsure of himself, "Do you know why?"  
She shook her head.  
"Ninian..." he said, placing his hand under her chin and lifting her face up so that she was looking directly at him.  
"I...I love you."  
Ninian couldn't think of anything to say. A whirl of emotions were flowing in her head.  
Part of her was flooded with joy. Eliwood loved her...Eliwood _loved_ her! She had known that for some time, but hearing him say it was completely different...it made it complete.  
At the same time, however, this just made everything worse. After Florina's reaction to what she was...she knew that there was no way Eliwood could accept her identity.  
"Ninian," Eliwood went on, "I don't care what your secret is...I will still feel the same. But anything that is troubling you...please, let me sweep it away. I would do anything to see you smile again..."  
"Lord E-Eliwood..." she finally managed to choke out. "I...I..."  
_I love you too_...  
She wanted to tell him. Her mind screamed at her to tell him. But she couldn't. If he found out what she was, it would hurt him so much more...  
"Ninian," Eliwood repeated, embracing her. "You are the first woman that has ever made me feel this way. Please...stay by my side forever."  
He loved her...and yet he couldn't.  
She loved him...and yet there was no way he would love her back...  
"L-Lord Eliwood...I don't know what..." She returned the embrace and began to cry into his shoulder. "L-Lord Eliwood...Lord Eliwood..."  
He stayed with her until morning.

* * *

So romantic...yet so sad...  
On a completely unrelated note, is it just me, or are my chapters getting longer?  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	16. Regrets

OK...for those of you who haven't beaten the game yet, this is _not_ the last chapter. You'll see what I'm talking about at the end of this one...  
And I got THIRTEEN reviews for the last chapter! Again, two of them are from the same person, but once again, who cares? :)  
  
Not Important1: Thanks for your review!  
  
Morning Mist: It always feels good when your reviewers can't find anything to complain about . And as for a schedule, I don't have any sort of "regular schedule" whatsoever. I just try to update as often as possible :)  
  
The Story Master 125: I'll be looking forward to the "confession" in your fic.  
  
Inferno-Hero (x2): Uh...was that all one sentence? And as for writing over the summer, while I can type fast, I write very slowly :/  
  
Sword of Seals: Thanks for your review!  
  
AmbieChan: --looks back through reviews-- I thought Wednesday was your fluff-loving day...hmmm.  
  
Kevin C: I know who Ninian's father is, I just happened to find out that information after I started writing this . In any case, it doesn't have that huge of an impact on the story as it stands, so it's not that big of a deal.  
  
hyliansage: I also hate the romance between Eliwood and Ninian in the game. It's just too...sudden. Then again, when you only have 3 support conversations you don't have much time for romantic development...but hey, as I told AmbieChan, that's why I'm writing this story ;)  
  
Jeanie: That was a Florina/Ninian support, and as for her "assertiveness," that was only a momentary thing. Oh, and I don't think Florina ever recognized what Ninian was in the game. Their support A just cuts off at Ninian's "slip."  
  
FireEdge: If you thought the part with Florina was sad, then you'll like part of this chapter. Read, and you'll see what I mean :)  
  
FromBern: Thanks for your review!  
  
MythrilSwordsman: Thanks for your review!  
  


**Chapter Sixteen  
Regrets**

"Ninian..."  
Ninian's eyes slowly fluttered open at the sound of Eliwood's voice.  
She looked around blearily. She was in her tent...but where was Eliwood?  
It took a few moments for her sleep-bogged brain to realize that she was still in Eliwood's arms.  
_Did he stay with me the entire night?  
_ "Lord Eliwood..."  
She looked up into his eyes to find him smiling slightly at her.  
"Are you...are you feeling better?" he asked slowly.  
It took a few moments for the entire memory of the previous night to come back to her. Florina, finding out what she was...Eliwood, coming to her...telling her that he loved her...  
Her secret...  
No...she still couldn't tell him. But being in his arms felt so nice...  
Hearing no response, Eliwood gave a slight cough, and to Ninian's dismay, he released her.  
"I should...probably go..." he said, standing up and beginning to walk to the front of the tent.  
But she felt so empty without him there...  
"Wait," she said.  
Eliwood turned his head, a slightly sad expression on his face.  
"Stay with me...please?"  
Eliwood's sad expression vanished, replaced by a serene smile. He turned and sat down next to her on her bed.  
She thought about it for a moment, then put her arms around him, placing her head on his shoulder. Eliwood eagerly returned the embrace.  
She closed her eyes, feeling herself drift back to sleep...  
She felt Eliwood stroke her hair fondly.  
"I love you," he said softly.  
"Mmm..." she replied sleepily.  
_Maybe_...  
She knew Eliwood wouldn't love her if he knew what she was. But being with him was so nice...  
Maybe...she could keep her identity secret. At least for now...she was so happy now...  
  
After spending a night at Bern Castle as thanks from the queen for stopping the assassination, the group was on the road once again. Ninian spent most of her time walking with Eliwood, and while they didn't talk too much, she was happy just to be near him. Eliwood seemed to be happy for the same reason, and also because Ninian was no longer in a state of depression.  
While the two of them never gave any public displays of affection as they walked, it became obvious to the rest of the army what the status of their relationship was. Nobody seemed to have any problem with this, except for two people...  
Nils, instead of eyeing Ninian with that expression of his, now seemed to become saddened whenever he saw Eliwood and Ninian together. When Ninian asked him about it, however, he replied, "It's better if you don't know..."  
Ninian wondered what he could possibly mean by that. She assumed it had something to do with her being a half-dragon...but Nils had already talked to her about that.  
Florina, on the other hand, seemed to have an urgent look on her face at all times. Ninian remembered how she had poked her head in her tent the other night with the same expression...what could it mean? Was she still scared of her?  
The army approached the Shrine of Seals...  
  
The enemy force guarding the Shrine of Seals was absolutely massive. They easily were twice as large as Eliwood's group. The tactician, however, was confident they could win.  
Eliwood asked Ninian if she wanted to come with him into battle, and her answer was a quick yes. It was obvious that not only Eliwood, but many other soldiers would need invigoration during this battle...  
  
The battle lasted a long time, but in the end, Eliwood's group was victorious. Thanks to excellent protection by the three lords, Ninian once again did not have to draw her rapier. She did, however, have to dance many times to help the soldiers keep going. Even now, many members of the army were exhausted.  
There was apparently some sort of power the three lords were supposed to obtain at the shrine, so Ninian stayed behind as Eliwood and the other lords went into the shrine to claim it.  
It was good that she did, because someone needed to have a very important conversation with her.  
"Ninian."  
Ninian turned around to find Florina, still with that urgent look on her face.  
"What is it?" Ninian replied.  
"I really, really need to talk to you in private," she said. "It's about...the other night," she said softly, as if afraid the other members of the army would hear.  
The other night...Ninian didn't want to remember what had happened then...  
"It's very important," Florina went on. "Please, can you come with me?"  
"I...I suppose," Ninian replied. She followed Florina as she walked some distance from the army. When they stopped, Florina looked around to make sure that nobody was listening.  
"What is it?" Ninian asked.  
Florina's face fell. "I...I wanted to apologize..." She was going to say more, but she trailed off.  
"For...for what?" Ninian asked.  
"For...what happened the other night," Florina replied. Ninian noticed that her eyes were welling with tears. "The way I reacted...i-it was horrible...I shouldn't have..."  
"What do you mean?" Ninian asked.  
She shook her head. "When I-I found out...I was so s-surprised..." She began to cry. "I-I think...I-I _know_...that y-you took i-it the wrong way..."  
"You're...you're not afraid of me?" Ninian asked, however out of place it might have been.  
Florina shook her head, sniffing. "O-of course not..." She gave Ninian a teary smile. "H-how could I be scared of m-my best friend?"  
Ninian was speechless. So Florina wasn't afraid of her after all...  
"I...I-I was hoping you could forgive me..." Florina went on. "The w-way I reacted...I-I know it must have made you miserable..."  
Ninian placed a hand on Florina's shoulder, smiling at this revelation. "It's all right, Florina," she said softly. "Just...why did you wait until now to tell me this?"  
"I-I wanted to tell you for the longest time," Florina replied, wiping her eyes. "But you told m-me that I couldn't tell anyone about this..." She sniffed. "This was the first time I was able to talk to you alone...I didn't want anyone to find out..."  
_So that was why she had that urgent look...  
_ "So..." Ninian said, "you don't care that I'm a..." she trailed off.  
Florina shook her head, then looked up at Ninian, smiling. "I've dreamt of this since I was a little girl..." she replied. "Meeting the ice dragon that lived on the mountain..."  
But Ninian realized that the ice dragon Florina was referring to couldn't have been her. She shook her head. "No...that's not me..."  
Florina's smile faded a little. "What?"  
"The ice dragon...couldn't have been me," Ninian explained. "I think...that you're talking about my mother..."  
"Oh..." Florina said, her smile returning. "But..." she went on, "there was one other thing I wanted to ask you..."  
"What is it?"  
"I...I was just wondering..." Florina asked slowly, carefully, "if you're really a dragon...then why do you look like...like a human?"  
Ninian looked at the ground. "I'm...I'm a half-dragon," she explained, finding that it was much easier to admit it than she had thought. "My father was a human. I can...become either one."  
"I see..." Florina replied. "And is Nils..."  
She didn't need to finish. Ninian nodded.  
Florina was silent for a moment, before saying, "Ninian...I'm really sorry about how I reacted the other night. Can you ever forgive me?"  
Ninian smiled. "Of course," she replied.  
The two of them started to walk back to where the rest of the army was, before Florina asked, "And Ninian?"  
Ninian turned to her. "What is it?"  
"This is...this is what you were afraid of Lord Eliwood finding out...right?"  
"Yes..." Ninian replied, looking away.  
Florina smiled. "Then you should not be afraid," she said. "I don't care if you're a dragon...and I'm sure Lord Eliwood won't, either."  
Ninian smiled warmly at that comment, but she was still a little unsure. "Do you really believe that?" she asked.  
Florina nodded. "Remember what I told you?" she asked. "Even if two beings are shaped a little differently...that doesn't mean they can't get along..."  
Ninian nodded in acceptance. "Thank you, Florina," she said.  
Florina giggled. "Any time, Ninian."  
The two walked back to the shrine.  
  
The three lords had not returned by the time Ninian returned to the shrine. She found Nils leaning against the wall of the shrine with his arms crossed, waiting.  
"Are Lord Eliwood and the others still inside?" Ninian asked him.  
He looked up at her, then nodded wordlessly.  
It was only a few moments, though, before the three lords walked out of the shrine. The Archsage Athos was with them, but Ninian couldn't figure out how he had gotten there. Had he warped in?  
"You must go to the outskirts of Ostia," she heard the Archsage explain. "There you will find Durandal, the sword of sacred fire. With it, you should be able to defeat Nergal."  
Eliwood nodded.  
_But you cannot defeat me now!  
_ Ninian shuddered as she heard Nergal's voice in her head. The rest of the army apparently heard it too, as they started looking around wildly.  
Without warning, a magic symbol appeared on the ground in front of the shrine. A moment later, Nergal appeared inside it. He gave a malevolent smile.  
"At last," he declared. "My power is fully restored, and more."  
"Nergal!" Eliwood shouted.  
Ninian and Nils placed their arms around each other, shivering from fright. Nergal wasn't supposed to return now! What were they going to do?  
Nergal found the siblings, and his eyes focused on them.  
"Come, Ninian, Nils," he commanded, his malicious smile growing. "Come, and open the Dragon's Gate for me."  
"I will not allow it!" Athos's voice suddenly came from the entrance of the shrine.  
Nergal turned to the Archsage. "Ah, Athos, you are here as well..."  
Athos raised his staff menacingly. "You will not take either of them," he declared.  
Nergal laughed. "Ah, but Athos, my power surpasses even yours now. Behold!" He raised his hands...  
"_Wait!_" Ninian shouted. Nergal turned to her.  
She didn't want Nergal to hurt anyone...she could feel his power even from where she was standing.  
And she had resisted Nergal before...she could do it again...  
She stepped forward. "If I go with you, will you promise to leave now and not harm anyone?"  
"_Ninian!_" both Nils and Eliwood shouted at the same time.  
Nergal paid no notice to them. "One of you should prove sufficient," he said. "Very well...come with me."  
Eliwood ran over to her. "No, Ninian! You can't go!" he shouted.  
She stared at him. "Lord Eliwood..." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "I will be able to resist him..."  
Eliwood stared at her sadly. "But Ninian, you can't go..." he repeated. "I love you..."  
"How touching," Nergal said. "But I believe she has already agreed to come with me. Come, Ninian."  
She took one final look at Eliwood before walking over to Nergal.  
"Nils!" she called. "Look after Lord Eliwood..."  
"I...I will," he replied.  
"Ninian..." Eliwood said softly.  
Then everything went black.  
  
When Ninian was able to see again, she found that she was already inside the temple of the Dragon's Gate. She was now standing right in front of the black portal.  
She was amazed. How had they gotten there this fast?  
Maybe Nergal's power was greater than she had thought...  
"You seem impressed," she heard Nergal say behind her. "My power is far greater than before. And with it, I can open the Dragon's Gate easily."  
She turned around to find Nergal grinning malevolently.  
"With your help, of course..." he added.  
"No," Ninian said defensively.  
Nergal laughed. "Of course. That is why you came with me, is it not? Because you thought you could resist me?"  
She remained silent, staring at him defiantly.  
Nergal held out a closed fist. "But you cannot resist this," he said.  
He opened his fist to reveal...Ninian's dragonstone. Ninian recoiled in horror.  
Nergal's grin grew wider. "Now, Ninian!" he commanded as the dragonstone began to glow. "Reveal your true form!"  
"No!" she shouted. "_NO!_"  
Ninian had transformed from a human to a dragon before, but never before had it been this painful. Her whole body ached as with a flash, it grew scales, wings, and a tail. When it was done, she stood at least three times as tall as Nergal, but he did not seem the least bit intimidated.  
"So..." he said, looking up at her. "Your true form...is liberated."  
Ninian's memory was gone, replaced by only one instinct.  
_Run.  
_ She leapt off the temple floor, wings beating madly.  
Nergal smirked. "To where do you hope to run, beast? What do you think Eliwood would say if he saw you like this?"  
_Eliwood...  
_ The name sparked a memory deep within her heart. Eliwood...the man she loved...  
She flew out the giant temple door like a bullet, her mind filled with only one desire.  
_Get to Eliwood.  
_ He would protect her...she knew he would protect her...  
But how would she find him?  
She flew up, up into the sky. It was nighttime, but Ninian didn't care how much time had passed while she was warping. She only wanted to get to Eliwood.  
Suddenly, she remembered something...someone's words...  
_You must go to the outskirts of Ostia...  
_ Someone had told Eliwood to go there...  
That was where he would be. She knew it...  
  
She flew through the night, tiredness not affecting her one bit. It was already well into the day when she reached Ostia.  
She didn't care that many people were horrified as they saw her fly through the air. She didn't care that she scared almost all of the Ostian townspeople into their homes. All she wanted was to get to Eliwood.  
She flew past the town, over a small mountain range...and then she saw him.  
There were other people there with him...a green-haired girl, a blue-haired man, and an elder man...but she didn't even notice them. All she saw was Eliwood...and she lowered herself to the ground.  
The other people ran as she got closer, but Eliwood stood his ground.  
Then the unthinkable happened.  
Eliwood drew a large, gray sword. It began to glow...and he pointed it at Ninian.  
Ninian was confused. What was going on?  
The sword suddenly burst into flame.  
_No!  
_ Fire...she couldn't take fire. Eliwood should know that, and yet here he was, pointing a flaming sword at her...  
Then, without warning, he leapt...and slashed her across the belly.  
Pain beyond pain surged throughout her body, and she felt herself falling unconscious...  
How could he _do_ such a thing?  
Eliwood...  
The man she loved...  
  
"The girl you loved."  
Pain. That was all Ninian felt as she slowly opened her eyes.  
"The girl you swore to protect."  
Ninian's vision was blurry, but she could make out the figure of Nergal...and Eliwood, staring at him in disbelief.  
"Slain..."  
She was able to see Nergal's face twist into a sadistic smile.  
"_By your hand!_"  
Eliwood held a hand to his forehead, still unable to believe what he had just been told. Then he turned to Ninian...and his face turned white instantly.  
She had unconsciously returned to human form, but she didn't care how she had done it. She was dying...she knew she was dying...  
"NINIAN!"  
Eliwood ran over to her as fast as he could. He leaned over her, his eyes welling with tears.  
"Ninian..."  
"Lord—" She coughed violently, blood spraying from her mouth. "Lord Eliwood..."  
"Ninian..." Eliwood repeated. "You can't...don't leave me..." He began to cry, and Ninian could feel his tears falling onto her.  
The pain was receding...her vision was going black...  
She weakly raised her hand and placed it against Eliwood's cheek, smiling. "I'm glad..."  
"...Why?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.  
She closed her eyes. "You're unharmed...I'm glad...Now I can die peacefully..."  
She couldn't feel the pain any more...  
"No, Ninian, don't talk like that!" Eliwood shouted. "Y-you're going to be okay! I-it's going to be j-just fine!"  
She opened her eyes again. "Lord...Eliwood..."  
"Y-Yes?"  
"Please—" She broke into a fit of coughing. When it subsided, she repeated, "Please...don't forget me..."  
Then she was silent, and her hand fell limply to her side.  
  
"_NINIAAAAAAN!_"

* * *

...  
  
Please review,  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	17. Always

All right...here's a completely original chapter, showing how Eliwood is dealing with Ninian's death.  
  
Jeanie: Connections to _Defiance_...well, the only problem with making those is that by now, _Defiance_ has ended. I might put one in if I can think of one though...  
  
The Story Master 125: Ninian isn't coming back _yet_...but she'll be back eventually. Read and see...  
  
Sugary Teethrotter: Thanks for your review!  
  
Inferno-Hero: Thanks for your review!  
  
Morning Mist: It really isn't that much of a surprise that I can write from a girl's perspective...because, after all, I know exactly how Ninian acts. Now if it was a girl OC...then I'd have a problem .  
  
FireEdge: You'll just have to wait and see ;)  
  
FromBern: If you want to see how Eliwood goes on...read this chapter.  
  
anonymousdemon: Thanks for your review!  
  
Lord Cynic: Hey! I love your GS fics! Thanks for your review!  
  
hyliansage: O.o That was long...but the revival is not this chapter. Read and see :)  
  
AmbieChan: Wow...I didn't know my writing was that powerful...thanks.  
  
Not Important1: I've never played FF7 so I can't comment on that...but I get what you mean. Thanks.  
  
**

Chapter Seventeen  
Always  


**   
  
"Ninian...why..."  
_If only I could answer him...  
_ Ninian wasn't sure how it had happened...but moments after her vision had gone black, her vision had suddenly returned and she had found herself standing next to Eliwood...yet she could see her own body lying on the ground in front of him, lifeless.  
"W-why did y-you h-have to leave m-me...why..."  
She spoke, but Eliwood did not hear her. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but Eliwood did not feel her. She stood in front of him, but Eliwood did not see her.  
_Am I...only a spirit now?  
_ She had heard stories about this before, when she was young...although she hadn't believed them at the time. The stories told of spirits of the deceased wandering the world...but the accounts varied. Some stories told of spirits haunting homes they had once owned...some told of spirits watching the living, wishing to be alive again...some told of spirits of evildoers that could kill a person in the night...  
But while the accounts varied, they all held one concept in common...the reason that the spirits of the dead were able to inhabit the world of the living. All of the stories told that spirits of the deceased were only able to wander the world when there was some problem that a spirit needed to fix in the world of the living before he or she could pass into the afterlife.  
_But...what could that be? What can I do?  
_ "I l-love you...N-Ninian...I-I'm s-so sorry...why..."  
_Eliwood can't even sense me...  
_ It had been several hours since that fateful incident, and the sky was beginning to darken. Still, Eliwood continued to sob over Ninian's lifeless body, and Ninian had simply stayed with him.  
_All I can do is watch...  
_ "Eliwood."  
Athos's voice came from a distance away. Ninian turned to look at him, but Eliwood apparently did not notice him.  
The Archsage stepped closer, walking to where Eliwood was crying over Ninian's body.  
"Eliwood," he repeated.  
Eliwood looked up, wiping his eyes. He was a mess...his face and eyes were red, and his hair was disheveled to the point where it looked like he had tried to tear it out.  
"L-Lord Athos..." Eliwood responded.  
Athos sighed heavily. "The others told me not to come, that you deserved some more time alone," he said. "Losing the one you love is the greatest pain in the world. But...you must move on."  
Eliwood didn't reply.  
"We have Durandal," Athos went on. "We must stop Nergal before he can call dragons into the world."  
Eliwood remained silent. It almost looked to Ninian like he didn't even care about Nergal...  
He stood up, looking despondently at Ninian's body once again. Suddenly, a wildly hopeful look appeared in his eyes, and he turned to the Archsage.  
"Lord Athos," he said. "There is a way to bring her back, isn't there? Surely, you must know of one!"  
Athos didn't reply, as if he knew, but did not want to tell Eliwood about it.  
"There _must_ be a way!" Eliwood went on, his voice rising. "Please, tell me!"  
The Archsage sighed heavily again. "...Yes," he said after many moments. "There is a way. But—"  
"What is it?!" Eliwood asked wildly, cutting Athos off. "I must know!"  
Athos shook his head somberly. "I cannot tell you, as I do not know it myself."  
"What?!" Eliwood nearly screamed. "What do you mean, you don't know?!"  
Athos looked down at Ninian's lifeless body. "Even I have no experience in the ways of necromancy," he explained. "Only an archdruid such as Bramimond has the means to tap into the dead."  
"Then...then you can get him, can't you?" Eliwood pleaded. "Can't you?!"  
Athos shook his head. "Even if I were to do so, he would not honor your request," he explained somberly.  
"Why not?!" Eliwood demanded.  
Athos looked again at Ninian's body. "To bring back lost loved ones...that is what everyone wants." He looked up, back at Eliwood. "I apologize...but what reason is there that you should be the only one who is able to do so?"  
"I...I..." Eliwood stammered, before trailing off and looking at the ground.  
"Bramimond would only revive someone if there was a great need for that person in the world," Athos went on. "And he would do so without request."  
"No!" Eliwood shouted, his eyes welling with tears. "He has to bring Ninian back! He _has_ to!"  
Athos sighed again. "Eliwood," he said sadly. "I know you are grieving the loss of the girl you loved. But you have to understand—"  
"_What's there to understand?!_" Eliwood screamed, tears streaming down his face now. He gripped the Archsage's shoulders tightly, almost shaking him out of rage.  
"_Don't you see?!_" he screamed. "**_I_** NEED HER!"  
He abruptly let go of Athos and collapsed on the ground, sobbing.  
"She w-was the only girl I-I ever loved...and I _killed_ her!"  
Ninian wanted to burst into tears...but she could not...apparently spirits couldn't cry.  
"Eliwood," Athos said. "Do not blame yourself. Durandal was created to combat dragons, and it merely was fulfilling its purpose. If you are to blame someone..." He paused. "Blame me."  
Eliwood looked up. "W-what?"  
"I helped create Durandal, and the other legendary weapons," he explained sadly. "And if I had known that awakening the blazing blade would lead to this...I never would have told you to find it." He sighed. "I am truly sorry, Eliwood. The son of Roland should never be wounded by the very weapon he wields."  
Eliwood slowly got to his feet, wiping his eyes.  
"But this will not cause Nergal to slow his efforts to bring dragons into the world," Athos went on. "Eliwood...you and the others must defeat him." He looked down at Ninian's body. "Nergal brought Ninian to this world to call other dragons. Please, you must defeat Nergal...for her sake, and for the world's."  
Eliwood was silent for a moment, then nodded resolutely. "I...I will," he said shakily. "For Ninian...for her sake, I will defeat him!"  
Ninian knew he couldn't see her...but she beamed with pride and happiness. Eliwood still loved her, even knowing she was a half-dragon, but...  
...but now she was beyond his reach...  
As if Eliwood could sense Ninian's thoughts, he suddenly said, "But...there is one thing I must ask of you."  
"What is it?" Athos asked.  
"I...I know there is no way to bring Ninian back, but..." he paused, almost embarrassed by his request. "I...I once heard tales of...people talking to their lost loved ones in a dream." He sighed. "Do you...do you think it is possible?"  
"I have heard such tales myself," Athos replied. "I am not certain, but it sounds very possible. However..." He paused. "However, it does not seem as though there is a way of _making_ it occur. I suppose it is the departed one's decision..."  
Eliwood nodded. "I see..."  
Meanwhile, Ninian's heart leapt. Maybe she could still talk to Eliwood...  
Eliwood knelt down beside Ninian's body, holding her lifeless hand in his.  
"I...I have one other request," he said, blinking to hold back his tears. "Please...is there a way to make sure her body does not...I-I want to wait to bury her in Pherae...after this i-is over..."  
Athos nodded. "This much, I can do for you," he said. He raised his staff, and a greenish aura surrounded Ninian's body before disappearing.  
"Nature will not affect her body now," he explained. "She will stay like this forever."  
Eliwood sniffed, trying his hardest not to cry. "Do...do the o-others know..."  
The Archsage sighed heavily. "They do," he replied. "The daughter of Barigan took it very hard...I sense she and Ninian were good friends."  
It took a moment for Ninian to realize that he was talking about Florina.  
Ninian hadn't even thought about her at all...  
"Are you ready to return to camp?" Athos asked.  
"I-I will come," Eliwood said. "B-but please...permit m-me one more moment alone..."  
"As you wish," Athos replied, and walked back to camp.  
With Athos gone, Eliwood let his tears fall freely now. He knelt down beside Ninian's body and picked her up, cradling her lifeless body in his arms.  
"Ninian..." he said softly, smiling slightly through his tears. "This i-is what y-you would w-want, right?"  
Ninian wished she could tell him yes...  
He was silent for a few moments, then, slowly, he bent his head down and placed a small kiss on her cold lips.  
"I-I will a-always love you..." he promised. "N-no matter w-what happens...always..."  
And silently, Ninian promised the same thing.  
  
"Ninian...why..."  
Nils and Florina sat on a bed in the latter's tent, holding each other and crying.  
Ninian watched them, feeling absolutely miserable. She had left them both behind...  
Nils, her brother...with her gone, he had no relatives left. He was the only half-dragon in both this world and the dragon's realm...  
And Florina, her best friend...they trusted each other so much...Ninian even trusted her with the secret of her identity. What would Florina do without her...  
Standing there, watching the two of them sob silently, she knew that they would be able to move on...that they would become close to each other. Nils no longer had a big sister...and Florina had known his sister very well. Florina had lost her best friend...and Nils was there to be with her.  
"I-I'll always remember you..." Florina sobbed. "A-Always..."  
  
"Ninian...why..."  
It was nighttime...but apparently spirits did not need to sleep, as Ninian did not feel any form of tiredness.  
She was in Eliwood's tent, watching him as he slept. He was tossing lightly, and mumbling in his sleep.  
And judging from what he was mumbling...Ninian could tell what he was dreaming about...  
She had remembered Athos's words, but so far she had not found a way to talk to him. So now, she sat silently on his bed, stroking his face that could not feel her hand...soothing him with words that he could not hear...  
_I'll always love you...no matter what happens...always...  
_ Eliwood's promise played through her head again as she sat beside him.  
She so wished to talk to him...why could she not?  
Why did fate have to be so cruel to her?  
She stroked his hair sadly, fondly.  
"I'll always love you," she said, duplicating Eliwood's promise. "No matter what happens...always..."  
And to seal her promise, just as Eliwood had done, she bent down and placed a kiss upon his lips.  
Then, without warning, everything went white.  
  
"Ninian...why..."  
When Ninian could see again, she found herself in what looked like a cemetery. In neat rows, gravestones covered the muddy earth beneath her feet.  
It was raining, but she couldn't feel the drops hitting her.  
"Why did you have to leave me..."  
Eliwood's voice came from somewhere among the rows of graves.  
She followed his voice through the rows until she found him leaning in front of a gravestone with a rose in front of it.  
"Why..."  
She looked at the gravestone...and almost gasped in surprise.  
It had her name on it.  
"Why couldn't you stay with me...we would have been so happy together..."  
She walked over to him, speaking to him even though she knew he could not hear her...  
"Eliwood...I'm so sorry..."  
Suddenly, Eliwood's head snapped up, as if he had heard her words. He looked to his side, at her...  
She looked at the ground sadly. She knew he couldn't see her...  
"N-Ninian?"  
Ninian looked up abruptly. He had said her name...he knew she was there...  
"Oh my..." Eliwood gasped. "Ninian...is it really you?!"  
She was silent for a moment, still shocked. Then she said, softly, "Lord Eliwood..."  
"Ninian!" Eliwood exclaimed jubilantly. "You're alive! You're _alive_!"  
He threw his arms around her, embracing her as tightly as he could.  
Ninian could only return the embrace dumbly.  
He held her for a few moments, then let go, running a hand through his hair in disbelief. "I can't believe it...I must be dreaming..."  
Then Athos's words came back to her.  
She was in his dream...  
"Lord Eliwood..." she said, unsure of how to break the news to him. "I...I can't stay long..."  
Eliwood stared at her, confused. "What do you mean?"  
She looked away from him, not wanting to see his face when he found out. "What you are seeing...is only my spirit..."  
Eliwood's jubilant expression faded slowly. "You mean...you aren't..." He placed a hand to her cheek. "You're still...gone..."  
She closed her eyes, feeling tears well up in them...even though she knew spirits couldn't cry.  
"Then..." Eliwood asked softly, "then...how can I still talk to you?"  
She shook her head. "I don't know..." she said.  
The cemetery around them seemed to fade, to be replaced by white. Everything around them was white...they could see nothing around themselves but each other.  
Eliwood brought his hand to his forehead. "I...I'm dreaming, aren't I..." he said, half to himself.  
She nodded sadly. "But...I am here, now...and when you wake up, I'll still be near you, watching you..."  
Eliwood shook his head vigorously. "But what good is that?!" he shouted both sadly and angrily. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "If I can't be with you..." he whispered, "I-I don't know how I can go on..."  
"Lord Eliwood..." she whispered back, "I'll always be with you. Even if you can't see me...I'll be there...no matter what..."  
"So?!" Eliwood demanded. "You're still not there for me...to hold..." he trailed off.  
She brought her face closer to his. "Lord Eliwood..." she repeated. "You...you must go on. Please...this is what I want you to do. For me..."  
Eliwood stared at her helplessly. "But...but I love you..." he whispered.  
She gave him a sad smile. "And I love you too..." she whispered in return. "But...you don't have to forget me..."  
Eliwood remained silent, still staring at her helplessly.  
"Just remember..." she said wistfully. "Whenever you think of me...just remember that I'm by your side...always..."  
Eliwood stared at her for a moment longer before nodding slowly.  
"I..." he said. "I will. I'll go on...I will defeat Nergal. For you..."  
She smiled at him.  
"And remember...I love you." She began to move her face towards his. "Always."  
Eliwood gave her a tiny smile. "And I love you too..."  
Then their lips met, and Ninian's vision became white once again.  
  
Ninian opened her eyes to find herself back in Eliwood's tent. She heard him mumble in his sleep.  
"...Always..."

* * *

Wah...it's so sad! I really didn't like writing this chapter...  
But...for those who are waiting for it...the next chapter is the revival...yay!  
On a side note...anyone catch the Chrono Trigger reference in this chapter? :)  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT


	18. Reminiscence

Oh, come on...nobody found the Chrono Trigger reference? Well, it's this line, said by Athos:  
"To bring back lost loved ones...that is what everyone wants."  
Nobody remembers that line? The old man at the End of Time says it when he gives you the Chrono Trigger to revive Crono. But anyway, I'm getting off track...  
  
FromBern: I actually didn't notice that...it _was_ their first kiss. Although technically, it wasn't real .  
  
Lord Cynic: Stop deprecating yourself...you write romance very well, but if you don't think so...your humor is MUCH better than anything I could do :P  
  
Inferno-Hero: Bramimond's class is actually "Bramimond" (this has been found by hacking into the game), but he has S-levels in dark magic and staves. I guess that would make him an archdruid...  
  
sugary teethrotter: I've read more romances than you can shake a stick at :P. And if you're looking for good romances, check out my favorites list, as it's full of them. Only problem is that none of them are for Fire Emblem, but I'm sure you could find something that you like.  
  
Jeanie: As I told Inferno-Hero, Bramimond's class has been found to be "Bramimond" by hacking into the game. I'd get a screenshot, but ff.net is stupid and won't let me post URLs. Oh well...  
And the repetition of "Ninian...why..." was intentional, just like the continual appearance of the word "always."  
  
FireEdge: I seem to be writing a lot of symbolic ideas without knowing it . Never thought of the idea of spirits being unable to cry as ironic...I just kinda wrote it.  
  
hyliansage: I'm not sure how that reminded you of Zelda...I've played all of them and don't remember any scene like that.  
  
Morning Mist: Chrono Trigger reference? --points upward-- And as for Nils...I didn't think it would go well with the game if I had Ninian appear in his dream. After all, he probably wouldn't have been catatonic if she had been able to talk to him.  
  
Spectral Flame: Well, as I said to some other reviewers, Bramimond's class is actually "Bramimond." But then, I don't think that calling him a "Bramimond" would have looked right in the story :P  
  
geeseling: Thanks for your review!  
  
The Story Master 125: This chapter isn't the last...well, technically it is. But there will be an epilogue following this chapter.  
  
anonymus: This should be the last "chapter", and after this there will be an epilogue. Also, I'll post my closing comments in a separate chapter after the epilogue is posted and reviewed.  
  
AmbieChan: Well, Ninian isn't just a mindless ghost. She loves Eliwood and she knows exactly what he needs in order to go on. And what do you know, --looks down at following chapter-- it worked! :)  
  
NinixEli: Thanks for your review!  
  
And now, the longest chapter yet:  
  


**Chapter Eighteen  
Reminiscence**  


  
"Florina..."  
The army had returned to Castle Ostia in order to rest and regroup, and Ninian had kept her promise and stayed by Eliwood the entire time. But while Eliwood was able to move on due to his dream conversation with Ninian...Florina and Nils had not had that chance.  
Ninian watched as Eliwood approached the sobbing Falcoknight in her room at the castle, her sisters having left realizing that this was a private matter.  
"Florina," Eliwood repeated.  
Florina looked up. "L-Lord Eliwood..." she replied.  
Eliwood sat down next to Florina on her bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "There...there is something I need to tell you," he explained slowly. "I know...that you and Ninian...that you two were good friends."  
Florina's only response was another sob. "Oh, Ninian..." She sniffed and wiped her eyes, trying her hardest to stop crying.  
Eliwood rubbed her shoulder soothingly. "Don't be afraid to cry..." he said sadly.  
Florina took his cue. Throwing her arms around Eliwood, she began to sob into his shoulder.  
"Ninian...Ninian..."  
Eliwood waited somberly as she cried. Ninian could see that he was trying hard not to cry himself...but he had promised Ninian that he would be able to go on.  
When Florina finished, Eliwood slowly let go of her and told her, "Florina, Ninian...she talked to me last night..."  
"W-What do you mean?" she asked, wiping her eyes.  
"I...I know it sounds crazy," he said shakily. "But last night...while I was asleep, she talked to me, in my dreams..."  
Florina did not care whether the story was believable or not. "W-What did she s-say?" she asked.  
Eliwood sighed. "She told me..." He looked at Florina sadly. "She told me that she will always be watching us. And she said..." He sighed again. "She said that we must go on, that we must defeat Nergal...for her sake."  
Florina sniffed. "Th-that is..." She sniffed again. "That i-is...w-what she would w-want..."  
"Yes..." Eliwood replied. "So, Florina...I know that you are grieving now. But...for now, you must go on...we must defeat Nergal, and we need your help." He looked at the floor. "When...w-when this is over..." His voice was breaking as he tried to keep himself collected. "After we defeat Nergal...then...th-then Ninian will receive a proper f-funeral. But now...n-now is not the time to grieve..."  
Florina looked up at Eliwood with tear-stained eyes, then she nodded ever so slowly. "You're...y-you're right..." she said softly. "We...w-we must defeat N-Nergal for a-all that he did t-to her..."  
Eliwood placed a hand on her shoulder without looking at her, not wanting her to see the tears that were forming in his eyes despite all his efforts to stop them. "I-I'm glad you understand..." he said. "Thank you..."  
He got up and started to walk out of the room, but Florina stopped him at the door.  
"Lord E-Eliwood..."  
Eliwood did not turn around. "Yes?"  
"Lord Eliwood..." she repeated, looking at the floor. "You...y-you loved her...didn't you..."  
Eliwood closed his eyes, his tears threatening to fall. "I-I did," he said, his voice breaking. "I...I a-always will..." he went on, remembering his promise to Ninian.  
Florina looked up at him, even though he was turned away. "Even..." she asked slowly, carefully, "even though...she w-was part d-dragon?"  
"I-I don't care w-whether she's part dragon o-or not..." His restraint broke and a few tears spilled silently down his face. "A-All I know...i-is that I love her..."  
Florina gave Eliwood a tiny, sad smile, even though he could not see it. "That...that is w-what she always wanted to know..."  
Eliwood nodded somberly, and silently left the room.  
And Ninian didn't know whether to be ecstatic or despondent. Eliwood had just openly admitted he didn't care what she was...yet now, they could never be together...  
She silently followed Eliwood, staying by his side.  
  
"Nils..."  
It had taken Eliwood a few minutes to get his emotions under control, but now he had come to Nils's room to tell him what he had told Florina.  
Nils sat on his bed, his face betraying no emotion whatsoever. He looked up. "Lord Eliwood," he replied, in a flat voice.  
Like before, Eliwood sat down on the bed beside Nils. "There is something I need to tell you," he said softly. He paused. "About Ninian..."  
Nils looked up at Eliwood silently, his face still expressionless. "What?" he asked.  
But while Nils's face showed no emotion, Ninian could clearly see that his eyes did. They were burning with hate, rage for the man who had killed his sister...and while her death had been unintentional, Ninian couldn't blame him for his feelings...  
Eliwood, however, did not seem to notice Nils's blazing eyes. He merely told Nils what he had told Florina: how Ninian had talked to him in a dream the previous night, how she told him to go on...  
When Eliwood finished, Nils simply stared at him silently.  
Eliwood waited a few moments, then when he received no response from Nils, he went on. "Nils," he said. "I know that...that you are very angry at me for...for what happened to Ninian." He sighed. "I...I never intended to hurt her...but...I know that there is nobody who can be blamed except myself."  
Nils remained silent, expressionless.  
"But...there is one thing I must ask of you," Eliwood continued. "It doesn't have to be now...but when you're past the pain..." He looked away from Nils. "I hope that...that someday, you can forgive me. I..." He sighed. "I truly do not deserve your forgiveness. But if you can find it in your heart...it would truly help to ease my pain..."  
Still, Nils gave no response.  
Slowly, Eliwood got up. He took a few steps toward the door, then stopped and looked at the floor.  
"I...I loved your sister more than anything," he said to Nils without looking at him. "And you must know this...I do not care if you or your sister is part dragon." He sighed heavily. "I...I am truly...sorry..."  
He slowly walked out of the room, and Ninian followed, but not before she heard Nils whisper something to himself.  
"Ninian..."  
  
"And there, hidden in the whirling sands, was the most amazing village, Arcadia..."  
Ninian followed Eliwood as he walked to the throne room, where Hector, Lyn, and Athos were waiting. She heard Athos's voice as they drew closer to the room...  
"I almost could not believe it myself. But it was there, right in front of our eyes."  
"What did you see?" Ninian heard Lyn's voice.  
Just then, Eliwood entered the room. The other three stared at him silently, wondering if something was wrong.  
Eliwood was silent for a few moments, but then he told Athos, "Please go on..."  
"Very well," came Athos's reply. "The village that Nergal and I found," he went on, "was inhabited by both dragons and humans, living together peacefully."  
Lyn and Hector were visibly surprised, but his words only caused Eliwood to look at the floor.  
"At the inhabitants' invitation, Nergal and I stayed there with both the dragons and humans," he went on, sighing wistfully. "The dragons' library was like a paradise to us. We studied their language and rituals with unbridled passion. A century, then two...time passed in an eye's blink. And yet, slowly...our thoughts turned down differing paths."  
Eliwood looked up slowly. "How do you mean?" he asked.  
"I wanted to share Arcadia with the world," Athos explained. "If man and dragon could live together as they did before the Scouring..."  
_How wonderful that would be..._ Ninian thought. She would have been able to live with Eliwood without any worries...  
Athos closed his eyes. "But Nergal...he learned from the dragons' library the ritual of stealing life-force from other living things. He started with small beings, then slowly worked his way up.... The Arcadians and I tried to stop him, but by that time the dark magics he used had completely consumed his soul. So..." He sighed sadly. "I had no choice but to attack my once dearest friend."  
"So what happened?" Hector asked.  
Athos sighed again. "I wounded him, but he fled," he explained. "He slowly grew his power away from our eyes, and he created the morphs..."  
"Morphs?" Lyn asked.  
Athos closed his eyes in an almost angry manner. "They are a crime against nature," he explained. "They are human in appearance, but they are artificial. Created. I'm sure you've laid eyes on them yourselves. Pale complexion, jet black hair, and glittering golden eyes..." His anger vanished, replaced by regret. "If only he had come..."  
"What do you mean?" Eliwood asked.  
Athos looked away. "The Arcadians and I thought that eventually Nergal would return. His ability to steal life energy had grown so powerful that we knew his only remaining target was the quintessence of a dragon...and there were no dragons anywhere else on Elibe but in Arcadia." He looked back at the three lords. "So we set up defenses and waited for his return. I did not hope to kill him, just to exchange blows...and then I would draw him into the desert, which would be his end."  
"So what happened?" Hector asked. "Did he not show up, or something?"  
Athos nodded. "He never came...I have no idea how he managed it, but...he was able to call the half-dragon siblings through the Dragon's Gate."  
Ninian would have felt ashamed, if it weren't for the Ostian knight that came rushing into the room that very second.  
"Lord Hector!" The knight shouted. "We're under attack! The castle has already been breached!"  
"What the hell?!" Hector exclaimed. "We have the best sentries in all of Lycia—how did they defeat them?"  
"Th-they just appeared out of nowhere!" the knight replied, sounding terrified. "I-It happened so fast, the castle guards were annihilated!"  
Athos calmly took a step forward. "It's Nergal," he explained. "He is warping his morphs here."  
"Well then, let's stop them!" Hector shouted. "Get everyone out of their rooms," he directed the knight. "And then send for reinforcements! We can hold them off until they come!"  
"Yes sir!" the knight replied, before rushing off to the rooms occupied by Eliwood's army.  
As the three lords and Athos prepared for battle, Ninian noticed with some regret that her rapier was now attached to Eliwood's belt, probably in memory of her.  
She stared at the rapier despondently. She would never be able to use it again...  
She followed Eliwood as he ran to defend the castle.  
  
Time seemed to become a blur after that...  
_... "This is a message from Lord Nergal. 'I await you on the Dread Isle.'" ..._  
_ ... "You...you truly are Roland's children." ..._  
_ ... "Fargus's pirate crew makes women smile and villains revile!" ..._  
_ ... "I have to do Ninian's part and mine!" ..._  
_ ... "All right...I want you to know all about me and Ninian." ..._  
_ ... "My friends are here! There is no power in this world greater than that!" ..._  
  
...And before she knew it, she was standing with the rest of the army at the entrance of the Dragon's Gate. Eliwood held Durandal proudly, while Hector tested the weight of Armads and Lyn did a few practice thrusts with the Sol Katti.  
"Nils," Athos said. "Can you sense if he has called forth any dragons?"  
Nils closed his eyes in concentration. "I sense...tremendous power," he replied a little shakily. "But it's different...I feel something really odd."  
Athos closed his eyes in turn. "Mmm...I read energy, too, if only a little..." He glanced at the three lords. "Nils is right, the sense of it is different from before. Brace yourselves. He is...formidable!"  
Hector swung his massive axe and placed it on his shoulder. "We've known that all along, Graybeard," he said with a determined grin. "But we will not fail."  
"We cannot fail," Lyn added confidently. Hector gave her a proud smile.  
Eliwood raised Durandal above his head. "To the Dragon's Gate!" he commanded. He rushed inside, and the rest of the army followed.  
  
Nergal had placed several morphs with the appearance of people the army had fought in their way. Ninian recognized Linus, and the insane bishop, but she did not recognize anyone else. The battle was fierce, but Eliwood and his army prevailed.  
Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, and Athos entered the deepest chambers of the Dragon's Gate, Ninian following them. Nergal stood there, waiting for them.  
"So," he said. "You have finally come."  
Athos stepped forward, intent on trying one last time to persuade his former friend to stop what he was doing. "Nergal," he said calmly. "After all these years, you have not stopped to reconsider your ideas at all. Please—"  
Nergal cut him off. "The same is true of you, Athos!" he shouted. "You must see the truth of it! All living things take energy from somewhere. We all use it to create, to change it into something better." He grinned wildly. "The knowledge of Arcadia has shown us the road to the ultimate transformation—and soon I will attain it. And yet _you_—" he pointed his finger at the Archsage, "—will not take that road! Tell me, Athos, why do you reject the obvious?!"  
Athos closed his eyes. "I am opposed to such a quest for power." He glared angrily at Nergal. "You say this power will further knowledge, but to fuel your ambitions with the stolen lives of others...that does not further wisdom. It furthers abomination!" He spat the last word out in disgust.  
Nergal's face suddenly broke into a grin, and then he burst out laughing insanely.  
"Those words!" he shouted almost gleefully after he had stopped laughing. "Those words are unchanged from when you said them ages back." His expression vanished, replaced by wrath. Putting a hand on his turban, he shouted, "When you and the dragons conspired to bury me!"  
And he ripped off his turban. Ninian was suddenly glad that he wore it almost all the time.  
Nergal's right eye, which was normally concealed by his turban, had a massive burn mark all around it. His eye also did not seem to be able to see, either, as it was red and unfocused.  
"_Look at this wound!_" he nearly screamed. "This wound which I took from your magic!" He glared at Athos with utter hatred, his breath becoming harsh and ragged. "It confirmed some things for me, _old friend_. That trust brings betrayal. That friends bring weakness!"  
"_Enough!_" Eliwood suddenly cried, stepping forward. "If that is what you learned from your encounter, then you are a _fool!_ Do you think for a _moment_ that when Athos struck down his dearest friend, he felt _nothing_?!"  
Nergal regarded Eliwood for a moment, then asked, "Is that truly what you believe?" Without waiting for an answer, he went on. "Then tell me, Eliwood. When you struck down the girl you loved, did you feel any remorse?"  
Ninian could easily see that his comment had hit a nerve.   
"_What the hell are you saying?!_" Eliwood screamed. "Of _course_ I did!"  
"Oh, but I remember things differently," Nergal commented with a sadistic grin. "I seem to recall that when she came for you, you took that sword of yours and slew her on the spot."  
Eliwood blanched. "B-But..." he stammered. "That's n-not the same!" he shouted weakly. "I...I-I didn't know it was her..."  
"Irrelevant," Nergal said, waving his comment off. "When you first took that sword and swung it...you didn't feel any regret, did you?" His sadistic grin grew wider. "Perhaps it even felt..._right_?"  
Eliwood sank to his knees. "No...Ninian..."  
At the same time, Hector stepped forward. "_Shut the hell up!_" he shouted. "Ninian didn't die because of _anything_ Eliwood did!" He pointed a finger at Nergal. "She died because of _you!_ _You_ have caused all of this suffering! _You_ are the one who kills without remorse!" He raised Armads, and gave a deadly whisper: "And _you_ are the one who is going to die today."  
His comments seemed to strengthen Eliwood, who got up and pointed Durandal at Nergal. "He is right. Nergal!" he shouted, angry tears welling in his eyes at the memory of Ninian, "I will defeat you! Here! Today!"  
Nergal crossed his arms defiantly. "You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" he asked, then he raised his hands. "Be afraid," he said. "You are about to witness a power that overwhelms all!" A black mist started swirling around the dark druid.  
Eliwood and Hector charged.  
And at the same time, Nergal shouted, "_Ereshkigal!_"  
A sphere as tall as him that seemed to be made of pure darkness appeared in front of Nergal. At once, Ninian could see spirits of the dead being sucked into it through the power of the spell. Ninian could feel herself being pulled...but she resisted.  
More and more spirits poured into the sphere, and just as Eliwood and Hector reached it, it exploded in a cataclysm of dark magic. The explosion blew them back, and even Lyn and Athos were blasted by the spell. The latter pair sank to their knees, while the former landed on their back, struggling to get up.  
Ninian heard the sound of running footfalls behind her, but her mind quickly shunted that thought aside with worry for Eliwood's survival.  
"Not like this..." Athos gasped. "It's not supposed to be like this..."  
Nergal smiled triumphantly. "You say that, Athos, but what do your very eyes tell you? You have no hope of defeating me."  
Suddenly, a large beacon of light, like a spotlight, shone down directly on Nergal, seemingly coming from nowhere. A few sparkles fell around it, and Ninian thought they almost looked...divine...  
Nergal looked up into the beacon, his arms outstretched. "Look!" he shouted gleefully. "Even the gods of this world acknowledge my superiority! I am impervious!"  
The beacon suddenly shrank, becoming as thin as a laser. It shone directly between Nergal's eyes, the working one suddenly clouded with confusion. "What?" he asked. "What is this?"  
Behind her, Ninian heard a voice scream, "_Aureola!_"  
What followed seemed to happen in slow motion. At the top of the beacon, a light as bright as a star suddenly appeared, and it began to fall down the length of the laser-like light...  
Nergal's face instantly took on a look of panic, but he seemed frozen in place.  
The star of light fell down, down, down...and landed directly between Nergal's eyes. Instantly, there was a blinding flash, an explosion of light...  
When Ninian was able to see again, the three lords, Athos, and Nergal were all on their knees, panting heavily. But while the Ereshkigal spell had weakened the three lords and Athos, the Aureola seemed to have nearly killed Nergal. He was gasping, spluttering for breath, and he was coughing up blood.  
"Why...must this happen?" he whispered. "I...I will not die like this," he went on, giving the three lords and the Archsage a death glare. "With...with my last breath...tremble...and despair..."  
And with a final, sadistic laugh, Nergal slumped over, dead.  
Almost instantly, the other four people all turned their heads and looked at Ninian.  
Ninian wondered what was going on...could they see her?  
It took her a moment to realize that they were not staring at her, but rather at something behind her.  
She turned around and saw Eliwood's savior, a long-blond-haired bishop in light blue robes. He knelt on a silver staff, his eyes closed in prayer.  
"Saint Elimine, praise be your graces...thank you for this miracle."  
The bishop got up and walked over to the three lords and Athos, stopping at each person and raising his staff. Healing energies flowed around them, rejuvenating them. Within moments, they were standing on their own power.  
The rest of the army quickly walked over to their commanders.  
"Is it...is it over?" The question came from a bright-green-haired girl, barely a teenager, that Ninian didn't recognize. She had her arms wrapped fearfully around a dark, red-haired man that seemed to sink into the shadows.  
Eliwood triumphantly looked around at his beloved comrades-in-arms, all of which had helped him to get this far. He opened his mouth to speak...  
...and was suddenly cut off by an unearthly roar, coming from the Dragon's Gate itself...  
Ninian instantly recognized it as the roar of a dragon.  
She panicked. Had Nergal managed to open the Gate?  
Meanwhile, Eliwood turned and sped up the stairs to the Gate. The rest of the army quickly followed.  
  
When Ninian reached the top of the steps, she saw the three lords frozen there, staring at the Dragon's Gate in terror. She looked...  
...and if she had still been alive, she would have fainted.  
Three fire dragons stood in front of the Gate, having just come through. But they weren't just any fire dragons.  
They were the three that had constantly teased her for being only part dragon...  
But Ninian could see what Eliwood and the others could not: the dragons were terrified. They had just come back to this world that after a millennium had become so strange to them. And she knew that the dragons had come to this world for the same reason she had followed Nergal's request: because they wanted to see their homeland again.  
Seeing all of these humans with weapons was scaring them out of their minds, and instinctively, they were retorting with blasts of flame. Almost all of the army ran away, except for Athos, who stood his ground at the top of the stairs.  
"If we cannot stop them here, then all is lost," he remarked.  
One dragon stepped forward, reared back, then launched a huge jet of flame directly at the Archsage. When it passed, Athos was still standing, but Ninian could see the blast had weakened him severely.  
Eliwood came running up the steps. "Lord Athos!" he shouted. "Flee! The dragons are getting closer!"  
Athos closed his eyes and shook his head. "I must stop them here," he said.  
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and the dragons, surprised, stepped back.  
A magic symbol appeared on the floor next to Athos and Eliwood, and a figure cloaked in green appeared inside it.  
"Bramimond!" Athos exclaimed.  
Bramimond turned to Athos, but strangely, when he spoke, it was Athos's own voice that came out. "Preparations...took time," he said. "But I am ready."  
Another magic symbol appeared on the floor, this one directly between the dragons and the humans. There was a flash...then, when Ninian saw what was inside it, she gasped.  
It was her body.  
Athos's words came rushing back to her...  
_Bramimond has the power to tap into the dead..._  
Bramimond was hunched over in concentration...  
Without warning, she felt some small force tugging her spirit towards her body. It was gentle, like a kind person would be when trying to lead a lost child home.  
She felt herself drifting towards her body...she reached out...she touched it...  
Then, for a moment, everything was black.  
  
_Bring her back..._  
_ Let the dragon girl's soul be restored!_  
Ninian gasped sharply as she took her first breath in what seemed like forever.  
She coughed a few times, then slowly stood up.  
She looked over at Eliwood, who was gaping at her in openmouthed shock.  
"Lord Eliwood..."  
"N-N-Ninian...is it really...you're alive..." Slowly, he reached out a shaking hand and touched her. She was real, alive.  
Eliwood's face suddenly split into a huge, ecstatic smile. "You're _alive_!" he shouted. He was about to throw his arms around her, when he caught Athos giving him a "this-is-not-the-time" look. Instead, he ran his hand through his hair. "I don't believe it..."  
She smiled warmly at him.  
"Girl with the exalted blood of dragons," Bramimond suddenly said urgently, breaking her out of the joyful scene. She turned to him, and he went on, "Use your power to appease them." He gestured to the dragons.  
"W-...what?" Ninian asked incredulously, holding a hand to her chest. "Use my power...in this world? I can't...I don't even have my dragonstone..."  
Bramimond spoke, but now it was Ninian's own voice that was speaking to her. "Do you not feel your power returning?"  
She stared at him inquisitively, when suddenly she felt energy rushing into her. She could hear a song...  
Looking behind herself, she saw Nils playing his flute vigorously, giving her all of the power that he could.  
She turned to the dragons, who had gotten over their surprise and were walking towards her. She could hear their angry whispers...  
_Halfling..._  
But she was part ice dragon, and with her newfound power she could easily kill all three of them.  
Yet she didn't know if she could bring herself to do it.  
These fire dragons, despite what they had done to her...they were innocent. They were only here to see their homeland, and for that, certainly, they didn't deserve to die...  
She turned to Bramimond. "I...I can't..."  
"You must," her own voice came back.  
She turned to the fire dragons, a helpless expression on her face.  
"I'm so sorry..."  
She raised her hands. A small, blue sparkle appeared between them...  
And without warning, everything went white as a whirlwind of snow and ice whipped through the shrine of the Dragon's Gate, cutting into the three dragons.  
She could hear their screams of pain and anguish...  
Then, she stopped. The snow and ice disappeared, and the three dragons collapsed. Two of them were clearly already dead.  
They didn't deserve this...  
"N-No..." she whispered painfully. "No more..."  
And she fainted.  
  
"Ninian..."  
Ninian's eyes slowly fluttered open at the sound of Eliwood's voice. Slowly, the faces of Eliwood and Nils came into focus above her.  
She slowly sat up and looked around.  
The three dragons were gone. Dead. But the Gate was still open...  
It had to be closed.  
Slowly, shakily, she stood up, then focused all her willpower on shutting the Gate.  
Nothing happened.  
_No..._  
"Ninian," came Eliwood's voice again. She turned to find him almost in tears of joy. "You're back..."  
He suddenly embraced her as tightly as he could.  
"Y-You're back..." he repeated, crying out his relief into her shoulder. Ninian returned the embrace, but her mind was focused on the Gate, and what it meant for her...  
Tears began falling from her eyes without her knowing it.  
Eliwood let her go. "Ninian," he said, mistaking her tears for tears of joy.  
"L-Lord Eliwood..." she sobbed.  
"Ninian..." he repeated. "I...I can't believe you're here." He smiled warmly. "When I lost you...I knew for sure."  
He embraced her again, but this time Ninian did not return it.  
"I need you," he said. "I want you by my side forever..."  
"L-Lord E-Eliwood...no..." she sobbed. If she couldn't close the Gate from this world, then she would have to...  
Eliwood let go of her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Ninian?" he asked. "What's wrong?"  
"I..." she sobbed, "I-I can't stay here..."  
"W-What?" he asked, almost incredulously. His smile faded slowly. "You...you have to stay..."  
She looked at the Dragon's Gate despairingly. "The Gate must be closed..."  
Eliwood stared at her, starting to panic. "Th-then...you can close it, right?"  
She shook her head sadly. "N-Nils and I..." she sobbed, "we do not have enough power to close the Gate from this world. W-we...we must go to the dragon's realm...to regain our power..."  
"No..." Eliwood whispered. "You...you can't..."  
Nils walked over to his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder.  
And she broke down completely. She flung her arms around Eliwood, crying into his shoulder.  
Just as she came back into the world of the living...she had to leave the one she loved.  
"I-I must..." she sobbed into his shoulder.  
"No..." Eliwood whispered again, not wanting to believe it.  
She let go of him, then looked at the Gate. She stared at it despairingly for a moment...but this was what she had to do, as much as she wanted to stay with Eliwood.  
"Ninian..." Eliwood whispered from behind her. "If y-you leave...I-I'll never see you a-again...that can't be..."  
She turned back to him, smiling warmly through her tears. "L-Lord Eliwood..." she whispered. "I-I am truly blessed that I have had the chance to meet you..."  
Eliwood started to cry, tears streaming silently down his face.  
"Please..." she went on. "Please...don't forget me..."  
He shook his head. "Ninian...please don't leave me..."  
She ignored his request, knowing that if she responded she would never leave. "A-And remember," she continued. "I...I'll always love you..."  
And slowly, sadly, she began to walk to the Gate, with Nils by her side. She never turned away from Eliwood.  
"Ninian..." he whispered, his arm reaching out towards her. Suddenly the full impact of what was happening hit him. His eyes widened and he shouted, "Ninian!"  
He started to run towards her, but Hector and Lyn came up behind him and held him back.  
"No!" he screamed. "Ninian! Don't leave! Please! Don't leave!!" He reached out a hand towards her and struggled against the other two lords holding him back, tears streaming down his face now. "Hector! Lyn! _What are you doing?!_ Let me _go!_"  
But they held on.  
"I'm sorry...but she has to leave," Lyn whispered sadly in his ear.  
"_NO!_" Eliwood screamed. He struggled even harder, his arm outstretched toward Ninian as if he could reach her and bring her back. "_Ninian!_" he shouted. "_You can't leave me **again!**_"  
But she and Nils had reached the Gate. She turned around, looking at the swirling energies of the portal...she wished she didn't have to go. Why couldn't she stay...  
She took one final, despairing look at Eliwood...  
"Ninian," Nils's voice suddenly came from beside her.  
She turned to him. "What is it?" she asked, trying hard not to cry.  
Nils glanced at Eliwood, then back to her. "Ninian," he repeated. "When Nergal first brought us through the Gate, he told us that our dragon form is not compatible with the air of this world. And he said that if we lived as humans, we would not survive long..."  
Ninian stared at him, confused. "Nils," she asked, "why are you bringing this up—"  
Nils ignored her and went on. "But even knowing that your life would be short..." He again glanced at Eliwood, then back at her. "Ninian...you truly wish to stay here, don't you?"  
She stared at Eliwood despondently. Of course she wanted to stay, but the Gate had to be closed...  
Without even waiting for a reply, Nils continued, "I understand." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Stay with Lord Eliwood."  
"But Nils..." she asked, "how—"  
She never finished, as Eliwood, apparently having broken out of Hector and Lyn's hold on him, suddenly threw his arms around her and embraced her tightly.  
"Ninian!" he shouted, sobbing. "You can't go. I won't _let_ you go!"  
"Lord Eliwood..." Nils began. "Ninian...no, my sister...please cherish her."  
Eliwood looked up. "What do you mean?" he asked softly.  
Ninian suddenly realized what Nils was going to do. "Nils!" she shouted. "Are you—"  
Nils nodded, a tiny smile on his face. "Yes...I'm going alone."  
"But—"  
"Ninian," Nils cut her off. "You wish to stay here, don't you?"  
She was silent for a few moments before responding, "Yes..."  
"And Lord Eliwood..." Nils said, turning to him. "You wish for my sister to stay with you, don't you?"  
"Yes!" Eliwood shouted. "Please, Ninian...stay with me. Don't leave me..."  
But she was torn. She wanted to stay with Eliwood, but if Nils had to leave her...  
"I know you don't want me to leave..." Nils said, voicing her thoughts. "But...I want you to be happy. And I know that you will be much happier with Lord Eliwood..."  
He took a few steps toward the Gate. "Well..." he said, addressing everyone. "I'm going to go."  
"Be well, Nils!" Hector called.  
"I'll miss you!" came Lyn's farewell.  
But tears were streaming silently down Ninian's face. "Nils..." she whispered.  
He stepped in front of the Gate and smiled warmly at her. "Don't cry, Ninian..." he reassured her. "Even if we're far apart, if we never see each other again, our bond will never be cut..." He took a step backwards, still smiling. "Sister...live as long, and be as happy as you can, for as long as you can..."  
And with another step backwards, he was gone. Within moments, the Gate was black, closed.  
"Nils..." she whispered, embracing Eliwood and burying her head in his shoulder.  
"Thank you, Nils," Eliwood said softly.  
  
When the army stepped out of the Dragon's Gate, Ninian was surprised to see the sun rising. The battle had lasted all night...  
Hector and Lyn walked out together. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Lyn commented. "The start of a new day."  
_And this,_ Ninian mused, _is the start of my new life...with Eliwood._  
As she and Eliwood walked out of the Dragon's Gate into the sunlight, Eliwood looked at her and smiled.  
"Ninian," he said cheerfully. "You'll come with me?"  
She looked at him and nodded, smiling.  
Eliwood's smile grew larger, then, without warning, he reached down and picked her up, sweeping her off her feet.  
Ninian giggled.  
He looked down at her smiling face, then placed a small kiss upon her lips.  
"I love you," he said softly.  
She looked up at him, smiling warmly, and ran a hand through his hair affectionately.  
"I love you too," she replied.  
And they both walked out into the sunrise of a new day...together.

* * *

O.o Wow...that was _l-o-n-g_.  
--sigh-- well...there will be an epilogue after this, and then that's it for _Different_. Hope you've enjoyed the ride...  
  
Please review!!!  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



	19. Epilogue

:/ The last chapter...  
  
FireEdge: If you want to see...read the chapter, of course!  
  
frombern: Thanks for your review!  
  
Inferno-Hero: Oh, believe me...I know _all_ about FE6 :)  
  
AmbieChan: Actually...I think that's the third time you've told me that you think you love me .  
  
Jeanie: I use Lucius against Nergal...unlike Athos, Lucius has the possibility of getting 2 hits on Nergal! Plus, he could also end up with more HP.  
  
anonymus: 18 chapters is quite a bit if you think about it...  
  
Spectral Flame: Thanks for your review!  
  
hyliansage: Ah yes...those scenes. And as for Nino and Jaffar...they will be next, but it will be awhile before that story is started. I'm going away for most of the summer, but rest assured, afterwards I'll be writing it!  
  
Lord Cynic: If you haven't beaten the game, then why did you read this story in the first place? Finding out that Ninian was part dragon must've been a real spoiler to you .  
But it doesn't matter...I get more reviews this way :P  
  
The Story Master 125: "It's just as good as my love confession!" How modest :P  
  
:D: I agree...for some reason I think _Defiance_ will always be my best work. As for Nino and Jaffar... --points at response to hyliansage--  
  
laura (x4!!): 4 reviews...anyway, you have to keep in mind that Ninian's parents were together _before_ the Scouring occurred, so a relationship such as that would have been seen as entirely different from one that started after the Scouring.   
  


**Epilogue**

  
  
Ninian tossed and turned, but she could not get to sleep.  
The bed, of course, was very comfortable, but Ninian was just feeling restless. She silently got out of the bed and pulled a nightgown over her body. Maybe a short walk would clear her head.  
She looked back at the bed, at the figure of Eliwood sleeping soundly.  
She smiled slightly at his peaceful figure. He wouldn't mind if she went for a walk...  
As to not wake him, she crept as quietly as she could towards the door on the far end of the room. She opened the door just a crack, her eyes taking a few moments to adjust to the fully-lit hallway. The two guards posted at opposite sides of the door turned to her as she exited her and Eliwood's room.  
"Lady Ninian?" one of them asked.  
She looked to her side, smiling pointedly. She had never really liked being called "Lady Ninian," and had requested the guards just to call her by her name. Nevertheless, some of the guards seemed to continue addressing her as "Lady" simply out of habit.  
The guard apparently recognized his mistake, and he cleared his throat embarrassedly. "Uh, I mean—Ninian," he said. "Is something the matter?"  
"Everything is fine," she replied, looking at the guard again. "I just can't sleep very well tonight. I'm going for a short walk."  
The guard nodded in acceptance. "Very well, La—I mean, Ninian."  
Ninian smiled amusedly at the guard before walking past him, down the hallway. After a few well-known turns and some nods to a couple of other guards holding graveyard shift, she arrived where she wanted to be: one of the castle's balconies.  
She stepped out into the night air. It was cool outside, but refreshingly so. The sky was completely clear, the crescent of the moon and the millions of stars around it shining down onto the earth.  
She smiled serenely, looking down at her hand. On one of her fingers was a golden ring, with three small sapphires adorning it.  
She twisted the ring absently, looking back up into the night sky.  
_It's beautiful._  
Just like the sky had been on that fateful day two years ago...  
  
_The army had piled onto the ship in high spirits, their mission finally completed._  
_ Ninian had promised herself shortly after leaving the Dragon's Gate to see Florina, and she had gone to her compartment whereupon the Falcoknight had promptly had a fit and had flung her arms around her once-lost friend. Florina had been so joyful that she had even picked up Ninian and twirled her around a few times, but unfortunately that combined with the rocking of the ship had served to make Ninian more than a little queasy._  
_ So she had retired to her own compartment, which she was now sharing with Eliwood. He wasn't there, so she had simply laid down on her bed, trying to quell her nausea. After several minutes, Eliwood came in, and he had sat beside her, holding her hand and smiling warmly at her. That had served to make her feel a little better, but she still thought it would be best if she stayed in bed for the rest of the day. Eliwood accepted this and left to talk to Fargus._  
_ She must have fallen asleep at one point, because later in the day she had been awoken by the sound of Eliwood's voice outside her compartment. Through the closed door, however, she wasn't able to make out the words he was saying._  
_ He was apparently talking to Hector, as she heard his voice too. His voice was much louder and she could make out his words clearly._  
_ "Oh, come on, Eliwood!" he said. "This is the perfect time!"_  
_ Eliwood spoke, but she still couldn't make out his words._  
_ She heard Hector sigh in annoyance. "Do you **honestly** think she will? Come on! She loves you!"_  
_ Ninian presumed that they were talking about her, but as for what Eliwood wanted her to do, she had no idea._  
_ Eliwood spoke again, this time his words being broken up by nervous pauses._  
_ "That doesn't really matter right now," Hector replied a little more calmly. "Go on... you don't have much time. Remember, you've got nothing to worry about."_  
_ She heard Eliwood again, from his tone she could tell he was asking a question._  
_ "Yeah, yeah, whatever..." Hector replied, and Ninian heard his footsteps moving away from the door._  
_ There was a deep breath, and the door finally opened, Eliwood standing in the doorway. She could see that he was nervous about something, but he tried his best to smile. "Ninian," he said, "are you feeling better?"_  
_ "I think so..." she replied, then noting his nervous expression, she went on, "Are you all right?"_  
_ "Yeah!" he said a little overenthusiastically. As if to contrast that statement, he gave a nervous chuckle. "E-everything's fine..." He paused for a moment, then said, "If you're feeling better, could you come with me? There's something I want you to see."_  
_ "Okay..." she replied slowly, before getting up and walking to the door. She followed Eliwood as he went down the hallway towards the door that led above decks. They passed Hector along the way, who was crossing his arms and smiling knowingly at the pair. She could have sworn that he gave Eliwood a tiny wink as he passed him._  
_ Ninian was confused. What was going on?_  
_ When they reached the door to the upper decks, Eliwood suddenly stopped and turned around._  
_ "Could you...close your eyes?" he asked._  
_ She stared confusedly at him for a moment, but she complied anyway._  
_ "Okay..." He took her hand and led her above decks. She felt him make a turn, and they went up some steps...and then he stopped._  
_ "You can open your eyes now," he said, sounding a little more confident now._  
_ She opened them...and immediately gasped in wonder._  
_ She was looking off the stern of the ship at the most wondrous sunset she had ever seen._  
_ "Oh my..." she gasped. "It...it's beautiful..."_  
_ Eliwood smiled warmly, more of his confidence returning. "Not as beautiful as you," he remarked, kissing her on the cheek._  
_ She giggled, turning to him. "Oh, stop it," she murmured playfully._  
_ They both stared at each other silently for a second, both smiling serenely, not wanting to ruin the moment._  
_ Finally, Eliwood spoke._  
_ "Ninian," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "I...I love you, more than anything in the world..."_  
_ Her serene smile grew slightly. "And I love you, Lord Eliwood," she replied._  
_ More than anything at that moment, she just wanted to kiss him. But she was rather surprised when he went on._  
_ "Ninian," he repeated, taking one of her hands in his. "I...I told you at the Dragon's Gate..." He seemed to be growing unsure of himself again. "Ninian...I love you...and I want you by my side forever."_  
_ Ninian thought he was going to continue, but when he did not, she encouraged him. "And?"_  
_ "And..." He looked away. "Ninian, I never want you to leave me again..." He looked back at her, straight into her eyes. "And that's why I need to ask you..." He bent down, and got on one knee._  
_ "Ninian..." he said, "will you marry me?"_  
_ Ninian opened her mouth in surprise, and she made a noise between a laugh and a sob—she was close to tears from joy._  
_ "I..." Eliwood interjected, "I know I don't have a ring, but...this was...unexpected..."_  
_ But that didn't matter to her._  
_ "Yes!" she shouted ecstatically. "Yes! I will!"_  
_ "Really?" Eliwood's face broke into a huge smile, and he stood back up. "Ninian..." he whispered. "Thank you...now we'll always be together..."_  
_ "Yes..." Ninian whispered back, moving her face towards his._  
_ And they shared a long, heartfelt kiss to seal the vow._  
  
The wedding had taken longer to plan than expected, however, as Lycia had been in a rather chaotic state after the death of several of its marquesses. It was just as well, though, as Eliwood had taken the time to get a master craftsman to create the ring Ninian was wearing now.  
The wedding had been a few months ago. Ninian had quickly asked Florina to be the maid of honor, and Eliwood had chosen Hector as best man. It had been a simple ceremony, although many nobles of Lycia had shown up as was custom.  
As the new marquess of Pherae, Eliwood's duty prevented the newly-married couple from going on a long honeymoon, but Ninian hadn't really cared. Their passion-filled night following the wedding was one she would never forget...  
Her hands moved unconsciously to her very slightly swollen stomach.  
A moment later, she felt a pair of hands on her own. Instinctively, she knew it was nobody other than Eliwood.  
"Couldn't sleep?" his voice came from behind her. He placed his head next to hers, on her shoulder.  
"Mmm..." she replied.  
Eliwood gave her stomach an affectionate squeeze. "Thinking about the baby?" he asked.  
She smiled slightly. "Yes," she replied.  
It had only been a few days ago that the castle's doctors had interpreted Ninian's continual "morning sickness" as signs of pregnancy. The proof had quickly appeared—the following day, her stomach had begun to grow.  
Although it was early, Ninian and Eliwood had spent the past few days thinking of possible names for the baby. If it was a boy, Ninian had wanted to name the baby "Nils" in memory of her brother. Eliwood, on the other hand, wanted to name the baby "Elbert" in memory of his father. They had decided that either name would only cause disagreement from the other, and so they had decided to give the baby a different name. Eventually they had decided on the name "Roy." Now they had currently been debating what to name their child if it was a girl.  
"What do you think of the name 'Rachel?'" Eliwood asked.  
"Hmm..." Ninian thought. "Maybe."  
Eliwood chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. "Finally, one you agree with."  
She giggled, breaking from his embrace and turning around to face him. "I never said I _agreed_ with it," she said playfully, smiling. "I just said 'maybe.'"  
"That's still a first," Eliwood laughed. He took one of her hands in his. "Come on, you should get back to bed."  
She walked with him back to their room, once again nodding at the guards as she passed. When they entered their room and closed the door, Ninian slipped out of her nightgown and climbed into bed beside Eliwood.  
"Good night kiss?" Eliwood asked playfully, sitting up in the bed.  
She smiled at him. "Good night..." She kissed him. "I love you."  
"I love you too," came Eliwood's reply.  
He laid down and closed his eyes, and Ninian began to do the same.  
She smiled serenely at him sleeping.  
It had been over four years since Ninian had first come through the Dragon's Gate. If what Nergal had said was correct, she would only live for ten more years.  
She closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.  
As long as she spent the rest of her life with Eliwood...she didn't care how long she would live for.  
He was all she would ever need.  
  


_The End_

* * *

**Afterword**  


  
Well, here we are. After four months, 19 chapters and 45,000 words, _Different_ has finally been completed. I can't tell you how much fun it was to write this story...but now, it's done, and I don't have any more to write.  
  
As I have told many of you, my next story, _Two Angels_, will be a Jaffar/Nino story. I'm sure all of you are looking forward to it, but unfortunately, I will be very busy this summer, and I will be unable to write during that time. I'm sure that many of you also have plans for the summer as well, which is another reason for me to wait until later. But since I'm sure that you're all wondering when exactly it will be started, I've set a date. I'll be starting _Two Angels_ when school starts up again for me, which is September 1. Mark your calendars, people ;P  
  
But for now...thank you to everyone who is reading this right now, whether or not you're going to leave a review. You guys are the reason that I have and will continue to write fanfictions. Thank you especially to those who reviewed this story. Without your reviews, I wouldn't be writing this right now. All of your positive comments (and the occasional constructive criticism ;) ) have given me the motivation to finish this. Thank you, all of you, for making my career as a fanfiction writer so great.  
  
See you soon,  
-TheOneAndOnlyT  



End file.
